North Korea says US denuclearisation talks 'out of negotiation table'

North Korea on Saturday said denuclearisation talks with the United States were "out of the negotiation table" while slamming European UN Security Council members who had recently denounced its "provocative" ballistic missile launches. The statement from North Korea's ambassador to the UN Kim Song came after Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom on Wednesday condemned North Korea's "continued testing of ballistic missiles", and called for strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang.

Referring to the "paranoia" of the Europeans and "the hostile policy" of the United States in recent months, Song said North Korea does "not need to have long talks with the US now and the denuclearization is already gone out of the negotiation table". Song also called the European statement "another serious provocation," saying North Korea is exercising "righteous measures of strengthening national defense capabilities". "As these six EU member states are making much trouble to play the role of pet dog of the United States in recent months, one cannot but wonder what do they get in return for currying favor with Washington," the statement continued.

In their statement, European powers noted that Pyongyang has carried out "13 ballistic missile launches since May", the most recent of which was on November 28. Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington are stalled with a looming end-of-year deadline set by North Korea for some kind of US concession.

UN diplomats fear that North Korea will resume long-range nuclear or ballistic tests if no progress is made soon.