US hints that Russia is the "reason" for North Korea to launch missile
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made the decision on the missile launches after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place on April 25 in Vladivostok.
Earlier, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea launched a short-range missile on the night of May 3-4. It later added that some of the launches were carried out without using the word missile.
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| Short-range missile believed to have been launched by North Korea |
The launches were carried out from the Wonsan city area towards the Sea of Japan, their range was from 70 to 200 km.
“You saw it happen right after his visit to Russia. Right after his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Kim decided to take these actions,” Pompeo said in an interview with CBS.
He added that the United States was still deciding on a response, but expressed confidence that the parties would be able to continue negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization.
US President Donald Trump believes that signing a denuclearization deal with North Korea can and will bring greater economic benefits to the country.
