Trump: ‘I would not be happy’ if North Korea conducts nuclear test

President Trump on Saturday said that he “would not be happy” if North Korea conducts another weapons test, adding that his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping would likely share that sentiment.

“I would not be happy,” Trump said in a CBS interview for Sunday’s “Face the Nation.”

“If he does a nuclear test, I will not be happy. And I can tell you also I don’t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either.”

When pressed on whether that such a weapons test would mean military action by the U.S., Trump responded, “I don’t know. I mean, we’ll see.”

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Trump’s comments came two days after he told Reuters in an interview that a “major, major conflict” between the U.S. and North Korea was possible, though he said he would prefer to resolve tensions in the region peacefully.

Washington and Pyongyang have been locked in a bitter standoff in recent weeks, after the U.S. announced it would send a Navy strike group into the Sea of Japan near the Korean Peninsula in an effort to deter Pyongyang’s aggression.

That strike group arrived in the region on Saturday, according to reports, where it conducted a joint drill with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.

But the reclusive regime denounced the move as an act of aggression and threatened a nuclear strike on the U.S. if provoked. The tensions have put U.S. allies in the region – notably South Korea and Japan – on high alert.

North Korea has long faced international condemnation for its nuclear ambitions. But concerns have grown recently over the rapid pace of its missile tests, with analysts and experts believing it could be readying for its sixth nuclear test.

North Korea launched what is believed to be a medium-range ballistic missile early on Saturday, but the weapon blew up shortly after takeoff. It was Pyongyang’s second failed test in less than a month.