Russia: US trying to ‘shift responsibility’ on North Korea

Russia’s foreign ministry on Monday pushed back against the U.S. on North Korea, saying Moscow and Beijing are not to blame for developments in the rogue nation.

“We view as groundless attempts undertaken by the U.S. and a number of other countries to shift responsibility to Russia and China, almost blaming Moscow and Beijing for indulging the missile and nuclear ambitions of the DPRK (North Korea),” the ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.

{mosads}The comments come after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson targeted Beijing and Moscow in connection to the North Korean threat.

“As the principal economic enablers of North Korea’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development program, China and Russia bear unique and special responsibility for this growing threat to regional and global stability,” he said in a statement.

President Trump last week condemned North Korea’s “latest reckless and dangerous” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch and vowed to take “all necessary steps” to ensure the security of America and its allies.

“By threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people,” Trump said in a statement last Friday.

On Monday, Trump said the U.S. would “handle” North Korea.

“We’ll be able to handle North Korea,” he told reporters during a Cabinet meeting. “It will be handled. We handle everything.”

North Korea said Friday’s test showed its ICBM could hit the U.S. mainland.