The article reported that the US envoy, who was sent to retrieve Mr Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Mr Trump, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation.
The Post also reported an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Mr Warmbier's release. Mr Yun told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges, but in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Mr Warmbier's release and he understood the instructions came directly from Mr Trump.The US has accused North Korea of murdering Otto Warmbier, effectively labelling their explanation for his death as bullshit, writes Conor Duffy.
Mr Yun said he understood that money had been exchanged in previous releases of US prisoners and was justified as"hospital costs," but he gave no further details. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters.The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, it is not known if the administration later paid the bill, according to the article.
Ever heard of travel insurance.