After the Europeans denounced on Wednesday the "continuous shooting of ballistic missiles", North Korea blasted them Saturday in a statement of its ambassador to the UN. He added that denuclearization was "no longer on the negotiating table" with the United States.

European members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned "North Korea's continued missile fire," and reiterated the need to maintain sanctions against the country.

Belgium, Estonia (member from January), France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom also denounced the continuation of the North Korean nuclear program, in a statement issued after an in camera meeting of the Security Council held at their request. The Europeans had noted that Pyongyang had carried out 13 ballistic missile tests since May, the last of which was on 28 November.

"Another serious provocation against North Korea"

"It is still a serious provocation against North Korea", while it exercises "its right to reinforce its national capacities of defense", reacted Saturday in a statement the North Korean ambassador Kim Song.

"While these six European countries are creating a lot of problems playing the role of watchdog in the United States in recent months, one can only wonder what they are gaining in exchange," he says.

Referring to the "paranoia" of the Europeans and Washington's "hostile politics", Kim Song says his country "does not need to have long discussions with the United States now, while the issue of denuclearization more on the negotiating table "

In a statement, Kim Song argues that the "durable and substantial dialogue" demanded by the United States is only a "delaying tactic" related to the timing of US domestic politics, with reference to the November 2020 presidential election. in the USA.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met three times
since June 2018, but little progress has been made in discussions about a dismantling of North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for concessions from the United States.

Nuclear talks deadlocked

The two countries even resumed this week with the hostile rhetoric that marked the year 2017. North Korea has indicated that in the absence of US concessions before the end of the year, it could commit to a "new way", which could mean the resumption of intercontinental missile fire or nuclear tests.

"I would be surprised if North Korea acted hostile," Donald Trump said Saturday when leaving the White House for Florida. "(Kim Jong-un) knows I have an election coming in. I do not think he wants to interfere with it but we're going to see (...) I think he'd like to see something happen. relationship is very good but there is some hostility, there is no doubt.

With AFP and Reuters