US President Donald Trump has suggested that direct communications with North Korea will not resolve the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, saying that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is “wasting his time” by trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Trump’s comments on Sunday appeared to undercut Tillerson’s diplomatic efforts despite the escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
“I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” he tweeted. “Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!”
Trump’s remarks came one day after Tillerson announced that the Trump administration has opened “lines of communication” with the North Korean government and has sought potential discussions about its missile and nuclear tests.
“We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We’re not in a dark situation, a blackout, we have a…