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US Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Thursday that North Korea had canceled this week's talks between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official, but a meeting between leaders of the two country is still scheduled after 1 January.
"I do not think there was a major problem" for the postponement, she said. "I have been discussing with the administration and, by and large, we are looking at the problem because they did not do it because they were not ready."
Pompeo was scheduled to meet Kim Yong Chol in New York on Thursday to discuss the North's commitment to eliminate its nuclear weapons and arrangements for a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader. Kim Jong Un.
"I think the talks will be postponed," Haley said of the Pompeo-Kim Yong Chol meeting. "And that does not change the fact that this summit must always meet between the president and Kim after the start of the year."
Haley has been talking to reporters before the United Nations Security Council closed consultations with Russia to discuss US sanctions exemptions against North Korea.
"We have given a lot of carrots until now," she said, highlighting the Kim-Trump Summit in Singapore and the follow-up meetings as well as stopping the military exercises.
Although there has been no testing of nuclear or ballistic missiles in North Korea, Haley said his government had not allowed inspectors to enter its nuclear facilities and missiles.
"We will not get rid of the stick because they have not done anything to justify the elimination of sanctions," she said.
Haley accused Russia of trying to "earn brownie points with North Korea and I think they're also trying to get things done and talk about lifting sanctions because they are already cheating" .
She accused Russia of bringing in North Korean workers and supplying refined oil to Pyongyang, in violation of US sanctions. And she added, "We know that they did some things with the financial aspect."
On leaving the council meeting behind closed doors, Haley said the humanitarian exemptions were being discussed.
She said earlier that the goal of the United States is to make sure that help goes to people in need, not to the diet. She is therefore investigating the technical aspects of a number of requests to ensure that help is not redirected.
"So we will take our time to do it," she said.
But Haley said that the real goal of Russia was reached at the end of the council consultations.
"What they're looking for is lifting the banking restrictions, which are exactly some of the things we know they're not complying properly," Haley said. "So now we know what their program is, we know exactly why they are trying to do it, we will not let it happen."
