U.S.: Diplomacy with North Korea will continue until first bomb
Article continues below
“As I’ve told people many times, I will continue our diplomatic efforts until the first bomb drops. I’m confident that we’re gonna be successful. But I’m also confident that Secretary Mattis will be successful if it ends up being his turn,” Tillerson told a conference on U.S.-South Korea relations at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
The head of U.S. diplomacy described the Pyongyang regime, which has raised regional tensions with its continuous missile tests, as the most immediate threat to the United States.
“We need the DPRK to come to the table for talks,” Tillerson said, using the initials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “We’re ready to talk any time they’d like to talk.”
The U.S. secretary of state repeated once more that Washington has abandoned the policy of strategic patience and has entered a new era of strategic responsibility.
“Our military preparedness is strong. Because of the situation, the president has ordered our military planners to have a full range of contingencies available, and they are ready,” Tillerson said. ■