Trump administration's mixed North Korea signals raise questions about US strategy now

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "talking is not the answer" when it comes to reining in North Korea -- seeming to contradict some of his top Cabinet officials who insist the US will continue to seek a peaceful resolution to tensions with Pyongyang, despite its provocative missile tests.

"The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!" Trump tweeted, just days after North Korea launched a missile that flew over northern Japan.

It was not immediately clear what Trump meant by "extortion money," though previous administrations have tried to defuse nuclear tensions by offering the North Korean regime food and aid packages, some of it in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to curb its nuclear programs -- promises that have always been broken.

CNN