Tillerson to North Korea: 'Let's just meet, talk without pre-conditions'
What's the story
Despite US President Donald Trump's belligerent statements, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has always firmly favored diplomacy with North Korea. Speaking recently at a Washington think-tank, Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with Pyongyang without any pre-conditions. Washington has so far been insisting on North Korea giving up its nuclear ambitions as a pre-condition to starting talks. Here's more about it.
How?
How does Washington view diplomacy with North Korea?
Trump has made numerous public statements threatening Pyongyang with war and has emphasized upon the military option, suggesting that it's the "only one thing that works with North Korea." However, Tillerson has been stressing on diplomacy as a viable option to handle the threat. Trump had earlier said that Tillerson was "wasting his time" with diplomacy. Tillerson reportedly called Trump a "moron" in response.
Tillerson speaks
What did Tillerson say now?
Tillerson asserted that Washington cannot accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. "We're ready to have the first meeting without pre-conditions....it's not realistic to say we're only going to talk if you're ready to give up your program," he stated. However, he added that North Korea would have to keep a "period of peace" with no testing or firing of missiles for talks to begin.
Quote
Initial contacts to set ground rules for formal negotiations
"We can talk about weather...we can talk about whether it's going to be a square or a round table.... then we can begin to lay a road map, of what we might work towards," Tillerson stated while referring to a negotiation plan.
Other options
Tillerson also stresses on military options
Tillerson stated that the US is working on ensuring tight enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang. He revealed that Washington had a menu of military options prepared, if required. "It is important that the diplomatic effort be backed up with a credible military alternative," he said. "Trump intends to ensure they don't have a nuke that could reach US shores," he added.
Information
Has Trump approved of Tillerson's options?
In a responding statement to Tillerson's speech, the White House conveyed that "the president's views on North Korea haven't changed." "North Korea's actions aren't good for anyone, certainly not good for themselves," it added while leaving things ambiguous on whether Tillerson's speech had Trump's endorsement.