At the G-7 virtual meeting last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States urged “the G-7, and all nations, [to] remain united in calling on North Korea to return to negotiations and [to] stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure over [North Korea’s] illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”

North Korea responded Monday with predictable indignation. Pompeo’s comments “seriously impaired the signboard of dialogue put up by the U.S. president as a decoy to buy time and create the environment favorable for himself,” Pyongyang announced. Instead of further talks, the statement continued, North Korea will look to repay “the pains the U.S. has imposed on our people.”