US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has linked the recent North Korean missile launches and rocket launchers tests with the landmark summit between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
Over the weekend, North Korea said that it had tested tactical guided weapons and multiple rocket launchers. Also the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that Pyongyang had launched several short-range missiles.
"The toughest sanctions in the history of North Korea remain in place. That's probably what's putting some of the pressure on Chairman Kim today. You saw this happen too right after his visit to Russia. Right after he spoke with Vladimir Putin, he made the decision to take these actions," Pompeo told CBS news.
He, however, did not specify how exactly that meeting influenced the North Korean actions.
The historic meeting between the Russian and North Korean leaders was not only their first summit and Kim's first visit to Russia since coming to power in 2011 but also Kim's first overseas trip since his re-election as the chairman of the State Affairs Commission earlier in April.