US Military Action Against North Korea 'Not First Option' - Trump

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A US military action will not be the first option against North Korea, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

"We’re going to see what happens…that’s not a first choice, but we will see what happens," Trump said when asked if he was considering a military action.

Commenting on North Korean Sunday's nuclear test, US President Donald Trump said Pyongyang's actions are "hostile and dangerous," emphasizing that the "talk of appeasement" would not work. He also reaffirmed the US readiness to protect the US and its allies by "using the full range of diplomatic, conventional, and nuclear capabilities at our disposal."

Moreover, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis told reporters that any threats to the United States or its allies would be met with a massive, "effective and overwhelming" military response. Mattis also said that Trump had been briefed on various military options available to the United States.

At the same time, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Monday at a UNSC emergency meeting on North Korea that Kim Jong Un "is begging for war" by conducting the nuclear test. She also said that the UN should vote on a new North Korean resolution drafted by the US on Monday next week.