North Korea claimed that the U.S. financial sanctions were a major hindrance to the resumption of the six-party talks, and demanded their immediate removal.

The Pyongyang Broadcasting Service said in an editorial that while the U.S. sanctions were imposed, it was impossible to talk with Washington about giving up Pyongyang’s nuclear program, which it described as a deterrent against an attack on North Korea.

PBS went on to say that the United States was blocking the North from the negotiation table and then blaming North Korea for the deadlock in the talks.