Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Russia Launches Push to Diffuse Crisis in North Korea
Aired January 19, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to the other international hot spot, North Korea. Russia has launched a diplomatic push to diffuse the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program. Russia's deputy foreign minister has a plan that guarantees the north's security and offers economic aid in exchange for keeping the Korean peninsula nuclear free.
Now meanwhile, the White House is denying a startling statement by the incoming president of South Korea. CNN White House Correspondent Dana Bash joining us with the latest on that. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Miles. How are you?
Well on this Russian potential overture, there's no specific reaction here at the White House, but this is the kind of thing that the Bush administration has been trying to do. They have been trying to get countries in the region, like Russia in particular, because Russia they believe has a tremendous influence with North Korea. Trying to get them to be more active, to be more aggressive in trying to come up with a solution to some kind of way to get North Korea to back down on its nuclear programs.
The United States has thought that Russia, and China in particular, do have a particular influence in that country, especially since the U.S. has been making more overtures in the past week. The president himself over this past week said that the U.S. would be willing to give energy and food aid to North Korea if they stopped their nuclear food program. The U.S. got a pretty sharp response from North Korea, saying that they kind of -- really they were pretty dismissive of the U.S. overture.
But this particular Russia plan sounds like it has a component of a nonaggression pact. The U.S. has been saying that they don't want to sign any kind of nonaggression pact, but they have been making it very clear that they want a peaceful solution and that they have absolutely no intention of attacking North Korea -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's Dana Bash at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 19, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to the other international hot spot, North Korea. Russia has launched a diplomatic push to diffuse the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program. Russia's deputy foreign minister has a plan that guarantees the north's security and offers economic aid in exchange for keeping the Korean peninsula nuclear free.
Now meanwhile, the White House is denying a startling statement by the incoming president of South Korea. CNN White House Correspondent Dana Bash joining us with the latest on that. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Miles. How are you?
Well on this Russian potential overture, there's no specific reaction here at the White House, but this is the kind of thing that the Bush administration has been trying to do. They have been trying to get countries in the region, like Russia in particular, because Russia they believe has a tremendous influence with North Korea. Trying to get them to be more active, to be more aggressive in trying to come up with a solution to some kind of way to get North Korea to back down on its nuclear programs.
The United States has thought that Russia, and China in particular, do have a particular influence in that country, especially since the U.S. has been making more overtures in the past week. The president himself over this past week said that the U.S. would be willing to give energy and food aid to North Korea if they stopped their nuclear food program. The U.S. got a pretty sharp response from North Korea, saying that they kind of -- really they were pretty dismissive of the U.S. overture.
But this particular Russia plan sounds like it has a component of a nonaggression pact. The U.S. has been saying that they don't want to sign any kind of nonaggression pact, but they have been making it very clear that they want a peaceful solution and that they have absolutely no intention of attacking North Korea -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's Dana Bash at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
