Russian FM: North Korea Ready for Direct Talks With US

Says North Korea Is Seeking 'Security Guarantees'

Jason Ditz 

Posted onDecember 8, 2017CategoriesNewsTagsNorth Korea, Russia, Tillerson

With its nuclear and missile programs having advanced substantially over the past several months, North Korea is now ready for direct nuclear negotiations with the United States, according to a message delivered to US officials by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Details of the plan delivered from Lavrov to Rex Tillerson weren’t totally clear, though in recent weeks North Korea has suggested they envision Russia being involved in any such talks as well. Lavrov says North Korea’s main goal in the talks is security guarantees.

This is unsurprising, as North Korea’s foreign policy seems to be built more or less entirely on the notion that a US invasion could happen at any moment, and they’ve been very public about their nuclear program being designed to deter the US from launching a costly war.

There was no word out of the State Department on any US response to such talks. Though Tillerson has advocated diplomacy with North Korea, they’ve also suggested that any direct talks would require unilateral North Korean disarmament as a precondition.

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/12/08/russian-fm-north-korea-ready-for-direct-talks-with-us/