The White House has dismissed as "absurd" the suggestion by North Korea's foreign minister that the United States has declared war on Pyongyang.
Ri Yong Ho said President Donald Trump had declared war on North Korea and that Pyongyang reserved the right to take countermeasures, including shooting down US bombers even if they are not in its air space.
Mr Ri said a Twitter message by Mr Trump in which the president warned that the minister and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “won't be around much longer” if they acted on their threats amounted call for war.
“We've not declared war on North Korea. Frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
Earlier in New York, where he had been attending the annual UN General Assembly, Mr Ri told reporters: “The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country.”
“Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country.
“The question of who won't be around much longer will be answered then,” Mr Ri added.
On Saturday, US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by fighters flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea in a show of force after a heated exchange of rhetoric between Trump and Kim over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
No comments:
Post a Comment