Jim Mattis, the U.S. Defense Secretary stated on Tuesday that the United States wants to resolve the crisis with North Korea diplomatically and is centered on neutralizing Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, Fox News reports.
“We maintain the capability to deter North Korea’s most dangerous threats, but we also will back up our diplomats in a manner to keep this as long as possible in the diplomatic realm,” Mattis stated in New Delhi, following talks with his Indian counterpart. “Our goal is to solve this diplomatically,” he said.
Mattis’ remarks come after the rhetoric between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has further escalated. Washington made clear on Monday that it does not want to overthrow North Korea’s government after Trump tweeted over the weekend that Kim “won’t be around much longer.” Pyongyang has seen the tweet as a war declaration.
The defense secretary arrived in the Indian capital late Monday, marking the first visit to the country by a Cabinet-level official from Trump’s administration.
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