Another day, another Trump headline. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea are only a small step in resolving the conflict, and that they are nothing compared to what is going to have to happen to deal with North Korea’s nuclear program.
Steven Mnuchin, the United States Treasury Secretary, warned China that if it did not follow through on the new sanctions, the U.S. would “put additional sanctions on the country and prevent it from accessing the U.S. and international dollar system.”
Additionally, another senior administration official informed Reuters that any “secondary sanctions” on Chinese banks and other companies were on hold in order to give China some time to show that it is prepared to fully enforce the latest and round of sanctions.
For those who don’t know, the United States Security Council voted to increase sanctions on North Korea on Monday, which included banning its textile exports and capping fuel supplies. What caused these new sanctions? Well, this move by the U.N. was caused by North Korea’s sixth and largest nuclear test this month.
“We think it’s just another very small step, not a big deal,” President Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
“I don’t know if it has any impact, but certainly it was nice to get a 15-to-nothing vote, but those sanctions are nothing compared to what ultimately will have to happen,” said Trump. If you didn’t already know, Trump has made a promise to his country that he will not allow North Korea to develop a nuclear missile that is capable of reaching the United States.
When asked if President Trump was considering other courses of action, Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, said:
“All options are on the table. The president has also said that he wants every country involved to step up and do more. This was a small step in that process, and we’re hoping that they’ll all take a greater role and a more active role in putting pressure on North Korea.”
Featured Image: twitter
