North Korea's second weapons test in less than a week didn't violate Chairman Kim Jong Un's agreements with President Donald Trump, and his promises remain "part of the basis" that make Trump optimistic negotiations are still possible, National Security Adviser John Bolton insisted Thursday.
"The South Koreans and Japanese are concerned nonetheless because they are within range, we think of this particular missile," Bolton told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo. "The president took an unprecedented step on June 30, meeting Kim Jong-un at the demilitarized zone into North Korea."
Early Wednesday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, with launches coming just hours before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Bangkok for a regional summit. The event did not include a meeting that had been anticipated with North Korea's regime.
Trump also is showing Kim the "brighter, different future" North Korea will have if it makes the decision to give up nuclear weapons," said Bolton.
"We're ready for working-level negotiations, " he said.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is urging Russia and China to enforce sanctions on North Korea, but China remains a major customer of Iranian oil, said Bolton.
Trump believes the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is the nation's biggest threat, which is why remains so focused on North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia, said Bolton.
"The threat of terrorism remains," said Bolton. "There is no doubt about it that is why he was so determined to defeat the ISIS territorial caliphate."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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