North Korea slams US after Pompeo’s call to maintain sanctions pressure on Pyongyang

The recent moves by Washington “are not helpful at all for building confidence” in relations with Pyongyang, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told a security forum in Singapore, according to a statement cited by Reuters. Moreover, advancing "unilateral demands will further deepen mistrust, instead of reviving trust,” the minister said. He cautioned that the US shouldn’t expect unilateral steps on denuclearization from North Korea if it “doesn’t show in practice its strong will to remove our concerns.” Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also in Singapore, urged the international community to continue with sanctions against Pyongyang. The call came despite US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signing a commitment to the “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” during their landmark talks in June.