Tillerson calls on Russia and China to squeeze North Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized China and Russia for their ties to North Korea and called on the two world powers to increase pressure on the rogue nation over its nuclear weapons program during a Friday address to the UN Security Council. Tillerson said Russia’s willingness to employ North Korean laborers under “slave-like conditions” for wages used to finance nuclear weapons “calls into question Russia’s dedication as a partner for peace.” He also criticized China for supplying oil to North Korea and questioned the country’s commitment to “solving an issue that has serious implications for the security of its own citizens.” Tillerson called on the two powers to go beyond the full implementation of UN sanctions and apply direct pressure to North Korea over its nuclear program. Earlier this week, during a speech in Washington, D.C., Tillerson said the United States would be willing to start diplomatic talks with North Korea without preconditions. The White House quickly countered the statement, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying the administration’s stance on North Korea had not changed. Tillerson told the Security Council on Friday that there must be a “sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behavior,” before talks can happen between the two nations. “Apart from that step, there are no preconditions for talks, nor will we accept preconditions from North Korea or others,” he said.