US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said that North Korea would not develop a nuclear missile capable of reaching US territory, vowing on Twitter: "It won't happen!"
Trump's comment has come in the wake of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un New Year’s address that preparations for launching an ICBM have “reached the final stage.” He did not explicitly say a test was imminent.
Trump tweeted: “North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won’t happen!”
It was unclear if Trump meant he would stop North Korea or he was simply doubting the country’s capabilities. His aides did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarification.
While US officials and military experts doubt many of Kim's boasts, Trump may very well have to deal with an ICBM test and confront the danger Pyongyang poses to international stability.
Trump then berated North Korea’s most important ally China, tweeting: “China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won’t help with North Korea. Nice!”
As North Korea's biggest trading partner and main source of aid, China holds influence over the pariah state. But bilateral ties, which date back to the Korean War, have weakened since North Korea began testing nuclear weapons in 2006 and Beijing has since joined the international community in supporting United Nations (UN) sanctions.
AP inputs
