US rejects North Korea sanctions reprieve.

(RT) ⸻ The United States will not seek dialogue with North Korea or repeal heavy sanctions imposed on the country unless Pyongyang ceases alleged "provocations," the State Department has said. State Department spokesman Ned Price did not elaborate on the offer made to North Korean officials, but said the US continues to seek "the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and will continue to "coordinate closely" with allied forces in the region. He also accused the DPRK of "provocation after provocation" and urged it to abandon its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has repeatedly denounced joint military exercises between the US, South Korea and Japan, arguing they are rehearsals for an attack on the North. Price, the State Department spokesman, has insisted the drills have involved "defensive maneuvers" only. On Wednesday, a large military parade in Pyongyang saw an arsenal of military gear, including Pyongyang's newly developed Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The parade underscored growing military tensions in the region after a highly contentious 2022, which saw a record number of North Korean weapons tests and a flurry of joint drills. The United States maintains several layers of heavy sanctions on Pyongyang, imposing another round of penalties last December when US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House was "committed to using pressure and diplomacy to entice North Korea into giving up its nuclear arsenal." Pyongyang has insisted its weapons are needed to repel a potential attack by the US and its partners, but says they are for defensive purposes only.