Albright: Push China, Russia for Action on NKorea

The United States must make it clear to China and Russia that it is in their national interest to take action when it comes to North Korea and its increasing aggressions, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Friday.

"Secretary [Rex] Tillerson made clear today that China and Russia have to be more helpful," Albright told CNN's "New Day" program. "They did in fact vote for the security council resolution. There is an emergency meeting of the Security Council again today. I think we need to make clearer to the Chinese and Russians that it is in their national interest to do something."

In 2000, Albright traveled to Pyongyang to try to broker a deal with Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il.

North Korea's recently reported test of a thermonuclear weapon would have affected Russia and China, said Albright, pointing out that she has heard radioactive air went into both countries.

"At some point they have to think about what the effect of that is," said Albright, who served under President Bill Clinton.

Further, Albright called on the other nations involved in approving sanctions against North Korea to put pressure on Russia and China to be more proactive.

There also must be a more consistent message coming from the Trump administration, said Albright, as it's "a little bit confusing."

"This is a very difficult issue," Albright said. "I'm still the highest-level sitting official to have gone to Pyongyang. We were close to an agreement. By the way, during that whole period, there was no additional material produced, no ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles]."

Albright said she would "never take anything off the table" when it comes to North Korea, and she believes that there must be a common approach and the United States needs 'to figure out how to use that diplomatic tool more effectively."

President Donald Trump will speak before the United Nations on Tuesday, and Albright said she believes people will be listening very carefully at how he sees the leadership role of the United States.

"I hope that he makes a speech that resounds there," Albright said.

Meanwhile, she said, putting sanctions in place is a "very complicated process" but it is a good tool at this point.

"The North Koreans depend on most things that come from China," Albright said. "Also, the Russians are employing a lot of North Korean workers."

It is hard, though, to measure the effect of sanctions very quickly, Albright said, so it's important for the U.S. government to work with its partners and to be "very vigilant about deterrence," and also work on pushing China and Russia, within the context of the United Nations.

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