John Bolton presses North Korea for progress on its commitments

National Security Adviser John R. Bolton said Tuesday morning that North Korea is not committed to restoring its global relationships.

During an interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” Mr. Bolton spoke about a need for North Korea to prove it’s working on its international agreements. When the show’s hosts mentioned the fallen soldiers returned to the U.S., the national security adviser said there was more North Korea could do.

“What a nation that is truly committed to turning the page would do is return the bodies of all the soldiers [of other nations involved in the war],” he said, “There’s no point in holding the remains from a conflict that long ago.”

In response to reports that North Korea is calling on the Trump administration to end sanctions on the country, Mr. Bolton doubled down on that strategy. He argued that the U.S. lived up to its end of the Singapore summit.

“It’s just North Korea that has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize,” he said, “The idea that we are going to relax the sanctions [because of] North Korea’s say-so, I think, isn’t something that is under consideration.”

Mr. Bolton said the president “feels strongly” about keeping up sanctions while working toward denuclearization. He explained that Russia’s business in the country and even humanitarian aid undermine the maximum pressure approach. The funds become “fungible” for North Korea, Mr. Bolton said.