| Captured video of the launch of the Hwasong-17 missile released by North Korea. © News1 |
The U.S. State Department said on the 25th (local time) that North Korea had to send a strong message to China and Russia to refrain from further provocations in connection with the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the day before (24th).
Jeolina Porter, deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said at a briefing ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the same day that the UN Security Council is in the early stages of discussing the matter with the UN Security Council regarding North Korea’s ICBM launch.
“We urge all countries to hold North Korea accountable for these violations,” Porter said.
He said he might not comment on the positions China and Russia might take in the Security Council. is an obvious act of escalating tension.”
He also declined to comment when asked if he believed China and Russia should be removed from the UN Security Council, saying he was “not in a position to comment.”
Deputy Spokesperson Porter reiterated the diplomatic solution to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s statement that “we will thoroughly prepare for a long-term confrontation with US imperialism.”
“The door to diplomacy is not closed,” he said. “We urge North Korea to come to the table for serious negotiations.”
“The United States will do everything necessary to ensure the security of the continental United States, South Korea and Japan,” he added.
