MOSCOW (Reuters) - The situation in the Korean Peninsula could escalate next year if the United States fails to convince Pyongyang it is serious about improving ties, a senior member of Russia's Security Council said on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he was "in no rush" to make a deal with North Korea to get it to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme.
"There is no doubt that if the State Department fails to convince Pyongyang of the seriousness of its intentions to improve relations with the North Koreans, then in 2020 we will have an escalation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula," said the Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Alexander Venediktov, according to the RIA news agency.
(Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva; Editing by Andrew Heavens)