Chinese nuclear security expert Tong Zhao said that on the one hand, the US President is "still keeping a nonviolent resolution to the North Korean nuclear crisis", but on the other, he is "seriously considering a military solution as a fallback option."
"Trump is pushing the situation to an increasingly dangerous place. In general, the US military has been increasing its preparedness in case its commander-in-chief decides to push the button against North Korea," Zhao pointed out.
At the same time, Zhao added, President Trump "still embraces the illusion that he can denuclearize North Korea very quickly through imposing more coercive pressure."
"The sooner he starts to listen to other major national leaders and his own advisors, the more quickly the current crisis can be contained," Zhao said.
‘US course on North Korea could end in World War III’ – Russian lawmaker https://t.co/sgAPRkgVEt pic.twitter.com/V8AfilgxoL
— Russian Insider (@RussianInsiders) 26 октября 2017 г.
He added that Russia, China, and South Korea are concerned about the fact that "Washington is committed to resolving the Korean tensions, but not necessarily through peaceful means."
US not seeking war with North Korea, Mattis says during DMZ visit https://t.co/AId4R9eqwe pic.twitter.com/pUP9sLkEjh
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) 27 октября 2017 г.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, President Trump said that better US relations with Russia would likely reduce tensions concerning the Pyongyang nuclear issue.
"China is helping us and maybe Russia's going through the other way and hurting what we're getting," he added.
Washington has already refused to implement the plan, while there was no official response from Pyongyang on the issue.
North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests over the past few months. In September, Pyongyang tested what it described as a hydrogen bomb, in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.