The United States says a chance for diplomacy remains with North Korea but dialogue is out of the question as long as Pyongyang continues threatening war.

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Monday that Washington takes “absolutely seriously” the North’s declaration that it considers the Korean Peninsula to be in a “state of war.”

Nuland said the U.S. is going to remain vigilant in the face of the North’s latest threats and provocations and remain steadfast in its defense of allies, including South Korea and Japan.

On the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea dialogue, Nuland said the U.S. has made clear that there is a chance for diplomacy if Pyongyang does the right thing, but not if it doesn’t.

On U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s plans to visit Northeast Asia next week, Nuland said the secretary will be discussing the North’s provocations on all of his stops in Northeast Asia.

On revising a South Korea-U.S. atomic energy agreement, Nuland said the issue will likely come up on Kerry’s trip to Seoul, adding that such discussions will center on ensuring that international standards are applied.