The U.S. government has reaffirmed there is no change to its policy of seeking the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

In a Friday press briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S.'s North Korea policy remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, adding that the U.S. remains open to diplomacy with North Korea.

He said the U.S. is committed to pursuing a diplomatic approach and is prepared to meet without preconditions as it calls on Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy. 

Price added that in the face of North Korea's continued threats and provocations, the U.S. has taken steps with allies and partners to reinforce defense and deterrence and continues to consult closely with them, including South Korea and Japan, about how best to engage the North.

Price was responding to a question about whether the U.S. can have conservation on arms control even with North Korea.

This follows a remark made by the department's under secretary for arms control and international security Bonnie Jenkins, who said during a Thursday conference that arms control is always an option if there are two countries willing to sit down and talk.

As that comment drew controversy, Price made it clear that Washington's goal is complete denuclearization, not arms reduction.

Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest warning to South Korea over Seoul's possible weapons supply to Ukraine, Price said that countries around the world will determine the level and form of assistance they wish to provide to Ukraine. 

He said the U.S. is not going to speak to what other countries are providing or should provide but that it has underlined the importance of such support for the signal it sends and the practical impact it has both on Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression and to inhibit Russia’s own ability to wage this aggression.