The United States Government says it would sustain pressure on North Korea until it halts its nuclear program. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster who stated this in an interview with CBS on Tuesday said the United States doesn't want to risk coexisting with a nuclear North Korea. "We can't tolerate that risk. If North Korea has a nuclear weapon, who are you going to try to prevent getting one? Look at the regime, the hostility of this regime to the whole world."
On whether comments by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were undermining his efforts overseas, McMaster said no.
"The President has made very clear that on North Korea, for example, now is not the time to talk. And what he means is, there can't be negotiations under these current conditions. ... The problem is now that their programs have advanced so far we don't have time to do that again, and so we can't repeat the failed pattern of the past."
Meanwhile, Tillerson says the pressure on North Korea will not abate. Tillerson stated this during a press availability with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa. According to him
"What the White House has merely observed is North Korea has not exhibited a willingness to talk. What's important for North Korea to know is this pressure campaign will not abate. We will not be rolling any of it back. It will only be intensified as time goes by, and it will remain in place until they agree to give up their nuclear weapons."
