WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan:

“The latest provocation from Kim Jong-un’s regime, directly threatening our treaty ally Japan, has further heightened tensions in the region and is a clear indication that the administration’s approach is not working. North Korea’s actions are a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. The United States must continue to stand by our allies South Korea and Japan, and lead the international community in a constructive, multi-pronged effort that meshes both additional pressure and diplomacy to get North Korea to freeze its nuclear and missile programs and get back to the negotiating table.

“As with most of President Trump’s foreign policy, there is no coherent North Korea strategy. Just empty statements and wild, counterproductive tweets. We need a clear strategy and plan of action that involves maturity and clarity, and that draws on all elements of our national power and regional leadership. There is still more that China and Russia can do to exert pressure on the North Korean regime, and I hope that this test is truly a turning point in China’s calculus as well.”