North Korea on Sunday called President Trump a “war merchant and strangler of peace” who’s trying to bring the world to the “brink of war.”

“Trump called for total destruction of our state and people at the UN arena and continues to bring nuclear strategic assets into South Korea and its vicinity, pushing the situation on the peninsula to the brink of war,” ​said a commentary from the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun posted by the Korean Central News Agency, according to CNN. ​

​”​The US is the war merchant and strangler of peace which gives rise to dispute and conflicts around the world in order to draw water to its mill regardless of the existence of mankind​,” the commentary continued.

The newspaper cited Trump’s vow to “totally destroy” North Korea during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly and noted that his administration will sell weapons to South Korea and Japan last month as President Kim Jong Un continues to increase tensions in the region by firing missiles.

​”​I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States​,” Trump tweeted on Sept. 5, a week after North Korea sailed a missile over Japan.

T​he commentary comes a day before US and South Korean forces begin 10 days of ​military exercises on the peninsula, CNN reported.

The drills will include the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, two guided-missile destroyers, units from the South Korea air force and navy, as well as the US Army and Air Force, the report said.

Meanwhile, officials from North and South Korea will not hold direct talks in Russia on Monday even though they will be at the event, Reuters reported.

Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Senate upper house of parliament, is expected to hold separate meetings with the deputy head of North Korea’s legislature and the head of South Korea’s parliament to discuss Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear weapons program​, Reuters reported, citing the TASS news agency. ​