White House: Now is not the time to focus excessively on negotiations with North Korea

The White House spokesperson stated that the priority of the U.S. government is denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and there is no time to spend focusing too much on negotiations with North Korea. Simultaneously, the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations mentioned that Pyongyang has "more gifts" prepared for the U.S. Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, said on September 5 that Washington's priority is denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula and the protection of U.S. citizens. She indicated that her administration intends to take "strong actions, both diplomatically and economically" against Pyongyang. Describing North Korea as a "global threat," she called on countries around the world, including Russia and China, to take further actions against it, and also stated, "For us, now is not the time to spend too much time focusing on dialogue with North Korea." Russia has supported China's proposal to halt North Korean military and nuclear tests in exchange for stopping U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. Both countries are also calling for an immediate return to the negotiating table. Although the White House spokesperson did not directly reference the demands of these two countries for an immediate return to negotiations, it is practically part of the statements and reactions of the parties, especially the U.S. on one side and China and Russia on the other. For instance, in the past two days, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations stated that North Korea is "seeking war," and hours later, the Kremlin spokesperson said, "It is very easy for countries that are not in this region to use the word 'war.'" The Chinese representative at the UN also emphasized that his country "will never allow chaos and war to break out on the Korean Peninsula." On the other hand, while the United States is calling for the "harshest possible sanctions" against Pyongyang, Vladimir Putin stated that "escalating sanctions against North Korea will yield negative results." North Korea conducted a new nuclear test on September 3, claiming it was a "hydrogen bomb" with "capability to be mounted" on ballistic missiles. Estimates suggest that the recent test was stronger than all previous tests, but independent sources have not yet confirmed the bomb's capabilities for missile deployment. In addition to North Korea's nuclear test, missile launches that are said to be intercontinental and capable of reaching U.S. territory have added to the crisis. In one of the latest statements from North Korean officials, their representative at the United Nations stated that his government has "more gifts" for the U.S. This apparently refers to earlier statements by Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, who in June mentioned that Pyongyang "intends to send a larger gift package" to the United States. Shortly after those remarks, North Korea conducted its intercontinental missile launches and nuclear tests. Han Tae-song, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, said on Tuesday, "The recent defensive actions by my country, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, are gifts prepared solely for the U.S.... The United States will receive more gifts." The warnings and threats have been exchanged in recent weeks, with Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, stating that the nuclear risks posed by North Korea are the most dangerous crisis the world is facing. In this context, North Korea is "preparing" for a new missile test, and the U.S. representative at the UN claims that North Korea "wants war." The North Korean crisis; China and Russia have called for "calm" and "negotiation," while Putin stated that escalating sanctions against North Korea will yield negative results.