The United States calls on North Korea to resume talks on nuclear weapons

David Stilwell, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, made a strong statement against North Korea on Wednesday, reports South Korea's news agency Yonhap.

- This administration has gone further than anyone else when it comes to clearly signaling to North Korea that they will need to negotiate.

"They can't just sit back, make threats, fire robots and everything they're doing," Stilwell said.

David Stilwell, US Deputy Secretary of State for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Photo: Epa, Luong Thai Linh 18 December 2019

"Can have a better future"

President Donald Trump has had two bilateral meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un.

The first, in June 2018, was the first meeting in history between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

The second meeting, in February 2019, was terminated prematurely and ended without an agreement.

Since then, talks between the countries have virtually ceased.

Double arsenal

Since Donald Trump took office, North Korea has doubled the number of nuclear weapons, according to data in June from Stockholm's international peace research institute, Sipri.

North Korea has also continued to fire robots in various tests.

However, the country has temporarily stopped test explosions of nuclear weapons.

For Trump, North Korea's nuclear weapons are a priority issue.

- We want to show North Korea that their people can have a better future.

But then they have to step forward and negotiate and talk about these things, rather than continue to stay isolated, said David Stilwell.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and US President Donald Trump at a photo opportunity in Hanoi when the issue of nuclear weapons was to be discussed.

Photo: AP, Evan Vucci February 28, 2019

Cyber ​​theft

But the United States also accuses North Korean hackers of committing "cyber theft" to fund North Korea's development of new weapons systems.

Therefore, the United States closed 280 accounts for cryptocurrencies suspected of being linked to North Korean cyberattacks.

- There is strong evidence that this is something they are actually doing in order to raise funds, funding for the continued development of robot systems and more, said David Stilwell.