Trump calls latest UN sanctions on North Korea ‘not a big deal’, contradicting own officials
Analysts said ban on textile exports was a significant step in curtailing Pyongyang’s intake of hard currency used to fund its nuclear programme
US President Donald Trump downplayed a UN Security Council resolution passed unanimously this week against North Korea, calling the move “not a big deal”.
Trump’s take on the new sanctions, which curtail North Korea’s fuel and textile trade with other countries, ran counter to the way other current and former officials, including those in Trump’s administration, have characterised the move.
“We had a vote yesterday on sanctions. We think it’s just another very small step – not a big deal,” Trump said in a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. “Those sanctions are nothing compared to what ultimately will have to happen.”
Further underscoring Trump’s hard-line tone, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hinted at the possibility of more secondary sanctions aimed at China to bring Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme to a halt.
Although the final version of the Security Council resolution was a compromise, analysts noted that the total ban on North Korea’s textile exports represented a significant measure in curtailing Pyongyang’s intake of hard currency.
That measure would cut North Korea’s exports by about US$1.3 billion annually, according to US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. The resolution will also phase out Pyongyang’s ability to accept remittances from labourers the government sends overseas.