Calling Diplomacy Difficult, Trump Warns of 'Major, Major Conflict' With North Korea

Saying diplomacy was difficult, President Donald Trump warned Thursday that the United States “could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely.”

“We’d love to solve things diplomatically but it’s very difficult,” Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview in which he identified North Korea as his biggest global challenge.

His comments came a day after summoning U.S. lawmakers to the White House for a rare—and seemingly pointless—briefing on North Korea, and one day ahead of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on the United Nations Security Council to implement sanctions, suspend, or downgrade diplomatic relations with the hermit kingdom in an effort to “denuclearize” the nation.

Failing to do so, he said Friday, would be “catastrophic,” as he warned that the U.S. was willing to use military force.
“All options for responding to future provocations must remain on the table,” Tillerson said. “Diplomatic and financial leverage or power will be backed up by willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action, if necessary.”

Also Thursday, North Korea released a new video simulating attacks on the White House and U.S. aircraft carriers.

Trump’s latest instance of saber-rattling contrasted with remarks made earlier Thursday by Tillerson, who told NPR in an interview that the U.S. would prefer to resolve the North Korean conflict through direct talks. Tillerson’s tone also differs from that of Vice President Mike Pence, who talked tough on North Korea earlier this month—reflecting internal disconnect that may, as CNN noted, “leave allies uncertain.”