Europe could be within range of North Korean missiles: France

PARIS - 30 November 2017: France’s defense minister warned that North Korea could develop ballistic missiles that reach Europe sooner than expected.

The scenario of an escalation towards a major conflict can not be discarded,” Florence Parly said in a speech to the French military as quoted by Bloomberg.

“Europe risks being within range of (North Korean President) Kim Jong Un’s missiles sooner than expected,” she said.

Parly said further sanctions are needed to rein in North Korea’s ballistics program which is “progressing and progressing fast.”

“This summer, we thought we weren’t in range,” Parly said. “Now it seems that very few Western cities aren’t.”

"We’ve asked for heavier sanctions,” Parly said. “Everyone must apply these sanctions, China and Russia for sure. The only solution is diplomatic, and it must be done from a position of strength.”