State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that the United States refuses to “accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state,” even though it is one.
Kirby was questioned by Associated Press reporter Matt Lee.
“Every time this happens,” Lee said, “the line comes out from people in this administration and other governments as well, is that we will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and yet, it is. You also say this about other things too. You say you will never accept Crimea as a part of Russia. And yet, it is.”
“Isn’t it time to recognize these things for what they are and not live in this illusion or fantasy where you pretend that things that are, are not?” Lee asked during the State Department’s press briefing.
Kirby responded: “We are not going to accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and we’re not going to recognize that.”
Lee continued to press.
“Do you understand my confusion? I know this – I think it’s illogical to say that you’re not going to recognize them as a nuclear-armed state when, in fact, they are,” he responded.
WATCH:
Here is the full exchange from the State Department press briefing:
QUESTION: And then the last one is – and every time this happens, the line comes out from people in this Administration and other governments as well, is that we will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and yet, it is. You also say this about other things too. You say you will never accept Crimea as a part of Russia. And yet, it is. Isn’t it time to recognize these things for what they are and not live in this illusion or fantasy where you pretend that things that are, are not?
MR KIRBY: The short answer is no.
QUESTION: No?
MR KIRBY: But I would challenge —
QUESTION: It’s preferable to live in a fantasy world?
MR KIRBY: I would challenge this idea that it’s a fantasy world. Just because – let me put it this way. At this level of foreign policy, you have to make choices. And you don’t have to accept everything —
QUESTION: You have to accept reality, though.
MR KIRBY: — even at face value. No, you – we are not going to accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and we’re not going to recognize that. We are, however, going to deal with their efforts —
QUESTION: The fact that they are a nuclear-armed state.
MR KIRBY: — their efforts at developing that program.
QUESTION: Okay. Do you understand my confusion? I know this – I think it’s illogical to say that you’re not going to recognize them as a nuclear-armed state when, in fact, they are and you are operating in a way —
MR KIRBY: We are certain —
QUESTION: — to make them not a nuclear-armed state —
MR KIRBY: There’s a difference between —
QUESTION: — something that you say you don’t recognize.
MR KIRBY: There is a difference between dealing with what we know they’re developing and what we know they’re doing, and officially accepting or recognizing it.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR KIRBY: There’s a big difference there and you understand that better than most, Matt, about the difference there.