The apparent breakthrough in the U.S.-North Korea nuclear standoff is bogging down already, this time in a dispute over U.N. sanctions.
Though President Clinton said Monday there are "hopeful signs" a showdown over North Korea's nuclear program can be avoided, the administration will continue to press for U.N. sanctions until North Korea proves it will keep its promise to freeze its nuclear program.
Former President Jimmy Carter met last week with North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung and told the administration Sunday the crisis is over.
But North Korean officials deny they promised to freeze their nuclear program. They say they would be willing to keep U.N. nuclear inspectors and surveillance cameras in place during talks.
But before North Korea agrees to talks, "The United States first has to announce they are giving up their efforts to proceed with sanctions in the United Nations Security Council," Han Song Ryol, a diplomat at North Korea's U.N. mission, said Monday.
"Some officials say they will pursue sanctions activity," Han adds. "This is contrary to what Carter said in Pyongyang."
Carter, who personally opposes sanctions, says he made "a mistake" when he suggested to Kim the United States would drop its pursuit of sanctions.
Han says North Korea is eager to restart talks with the United States, but "dialogue is inconsistent with sanctions."
"The critical question is: are they willing to freeze this nuclear program?" Clinton said Monday on NBC's Today.
"If it's going to be frozen, then clearly that is grounds for talking, but we have to know what the facts are so we'll be attempting to determine that."
Until then, says White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers, the United States has "no intention of slowing" the sanctions process.
U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright discussed sanctions Monday with her Russian counterpart Yuli Vorontsov.
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev and Secretary of State Warren Christopher meet Wednesday in Brussels.
The State Department says it's using unspecified "diplomatic channels" to confirm with North Korea the offer relayed by Carter. Clinton aides say that process will take days.
"We want to see some very specific things," says State Department spokesman Michael McCurry. "Commitments on no reprocessing, no refueling, and . . . continuity of safeguards presence that would allow us to be absolutely certain that those things are being met."
