Advertisement

Trump to U.N. Security Council: 'Secret meetings' underway with North Korea

By Elizabeth Shim
U.S. President Donald Trump chaired the U.N. Security Council meeting on nonproliferation on Wednesday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 3 | U.S. President Donald Trump chaired the U.N. Security Council meeting on nonproliferation on Wednesday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday at the United Nations Security Council "positive" developments on North Korea are underway, and that his administration has been holding secret meetings that will bring "good news" in the "coming months and years."

Trump, who chaired the Security Council meeting on nonproliferation at the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly, said he could soon make a deal with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Advertisement

U.N. sanctions on North Korea will remain in place, however.

"I think we will make a deal, but unfortunately to ensure this progress continues, we must enforce existing U.N. Security Council resolutions until denuclearization occurs," Trump said.

The president also said there are signs "some nations are already violating these U.N. sanctions."

"This includes illegal ship-to-ship transfers which must end immediately," Trump said, without mentioning Russia or China by name.

Chinese-flagged ships have been seen in the high seas transferring fuel to North Korean vessels, and Russia may have been receiving shipments of frozen North Korean seafood at its ports.

Trump, seated only a few feet away from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also accused Beijing of interfering in the upcoming midterm elections.

Advertisement

"They do not want me or us to win, because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade," Trump said. "We are winning on trade, we are winning at every level, [and] we don't want them to meddle or interfere in our upcoming election."

The charges were met with expressions of worry and disbelief from Wang, who shrugged off the comment as he listened to Trump's remarks through an interpreter.

A senior administration official later told reporters the Chinese government is actively punishing or rewarding various elements of U.S. society and business -- think tanks, movie studios, journalists, religious leaders and politicians -- based whether they support China's policies.

He accused China of cyberbullying, corruption and propaganda using methods "that appear to be normal modes of interacting and spreading information."

"The activities have reached an unacceptable level," the official told reporters during a press briefing.

As he did on Tuesday in his speech before the General Assembly, Trump spoke positively of North Korea's Kim.

"I believe Chairman Kim Jong Un, a man I have gotten to know and like, wants peace and prosperity for North Korea," Trump said. "Many things are happening behind the scenes, away from the media, that nobody knows. They're happening nevertheless, and they are happening in a positive way.

Advertisement

"We will have good news from North Korea in the coming months and years," he said, adding he appreciated South Korean President Moon Jae-in's remarks about Trump in U.S. television interviews that aired on Tuesday.

Moon is to speak at the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Trump also reconfirmed his decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran deal, a "horrible, one-sided deal" and charged Tehran with continued weapons development.

"Iran's aggression has only increased, [the country] has used the new funds to support terrorism and built nuclear-capable missiles," Trump said.

In August, the International Atomic Energy Agency had said Iran is in compliance with nuclear deal restrictions.

Latest Headlines