Exclusive: Trump accuses Russia of helping North Korea evade sanctions; says U.S. needs more missile defense
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -  U.S. President Donald Trump  complained on Wednesday that Russia was helping North Korea to evade international sanctions  signaling frustration with a country  he  had hoped to forge friendly relations with after  his  2016 election win.
“Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea ”  Trump  said during an Oval Office interview with Reuters. “What China is helping us with  Russia is denting. In other words  Russia is making up for some of what China is doing.”
 Trump  said  he  hoped the standoff with Pyongyang could be resolved “in a peaceful way  but  it ’s very possible that  it  can’t.”
Asked whether  he  thought the United States needs more missile defense systems   he  said  “Yes  yes I do. We’re ordering more missile defense and we’re ordering more missile offense also.”
 Trump  praised China for  its  efforts to restrict oil and coal supplies to North Korea but said Beijing could do much more to help constrain Pyongyang.
 Trump  has repeatedly blamed a U.S. investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election for hindering an improvement in U.S.-Russian relations.
“ He  can do a lot ”  Trump  said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “But unfortunately  we  don’t have much of a relationship with Russia  and in some cases it’s probable that what  China  takes back  Russia gives. So the net result is not as good as it could be.”
 U.S. President Donald Trump  speaks during an interview with Reuters at the White House in Washington  U.S.  January 17  2018. REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque
Trump  said Pyongyang is steadily advancing in  its  ability to deliver a missile to the United States.
“They’re not there yet  but they’re close. And they get closer every day ”  he  said.
They said  however  that North Korea had not yet offered any proof that it had mastered all technical hurdles  including development of  a re-entry vehicle needed to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM .
 Trump  said  he  welcomed talks between North and South Korea over the Winter Olympics to be held in the South next month and said this could be an initial phase in helping defuse the crisis.
 He  would not say whether the United States has been considering a limited  pre-emptive attack to show the North that the United States means business.
“We’re playing a very  very hard game of poker and you don’t want to reveal your hand ”  he  said.
“We have a very big intellectual property potential fine going  which is going to come out soon ”  Trump  said.
 Trump  said the damages could be high  without elaborating on how the numbers were reached or how the costs would be imposed.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -  [TGT]complained on Wednesday that Russia was helping North Korea to evade international sanctions  signaling frustration with a country  [TGT]  had hoped to forge friendly relations with after  [TGT]  2016 election win.
“Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea ”  [TGT]said during an Oval Office interview with Reuters. “What China is helping us with  Russia is denting. In other words  Russia is making up for some of what China is doing.”
 [TGT]said  [TGT]  hoped the standoff with Pyongyang could be resolved “in a peaceful way  but  it ’s very possible that  it  can’t.”
Asked whether [TGT][TGT]  thought the United States needs more missile defense systems   [TGT]  said  “Yes  yes I do. We’re ordering more missile defense and we’re ordering more missile offense also.”
 [TGT]praised China for  its  efforts to restrict oil and coal supplies to North Korea but said Beijing could do much more to help constrain Pyongyang.
 [TGT]has repeatedly blamed a U.S. investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election for hindering an improvement in U.S.-Russian relations.
“ He  can do a lot ”  [TGT]said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “But unfortunately  we  don’t have much of a relationship with Russia  and in some cases it’s probable that what  China  takes back  Russia gives. So the net result is not as good as it could be.”
 U.S. President Donald Trump  speaks during an interview with Reuters at the White House in Washington  U.S.  January 17  2018. REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque
[TGT]said Pyongyang is steadily advancing in  its  ability to deliver a missile to the United States.
“They’re not there yet  but they’re close. And they get closer every day ”  he  said.
They said  however  that North Korea had not yet offered any proof that it had mastered all technical hurdles  including development of  a re-entry vehicle needed to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM .
 Trump  said  he  welcomed talks between North and South Korea over the Winter Olympics to be held in the South next month and said this could be an initial phase in helping defuse the crisis.
 He  would not say whether the United States has been considering a limited  pre-emptive attack to show the North that the United States means business.
“We’re playing a very  very hard game of poker and you don’t want to reveal your hand ”  he  said.
“We have a very big intellectual property potential fine going  which is going to come out soon ”  Trump  said.
 Trump  said the damages could be high  without elaborating on how the numbers were reached or how the costs would be imposed.