US ready to use military force against North Korea if diplomacy fails, Trump’s UN ambassador says

The US will use military force to stop North Korea from developing the capability to strike another country with a nuclear weapon if diplomatic solutions fail, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.

Haley’s delegation plans to introduce “in the coming days” a new UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting all violations of existing sanctions against North Korea. The ambassador also threatened that the US government will cut off trade with countries that continue to trade with the reclusive nation.

The trade threat appeared to be a jab at China, which US President Donald Trump has accused of undermining efforts aimed at subduing Pyongyang’s weapons programme by trading with the country.

“There are countries that are allowing, even encouraging, trade with North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” Haley said. “Such countries would also like to continue their trade with the United States. That’s not going to happen. Our attitude on trade changes when countries do not take international security threats seriously. “

Haley made the comments during an emergency meeting that she and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts Cho Tae-yul and Koro Bassho called in response to North Korea’s recent launch of what the US military determined was an intercontinental ballistic missile. Haley called the latest missile test “a new escalation of the threat”.