Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned North Korea for escalating tensions in the region by detonating a nuclear device, but warned that sanctions alone will not force the rogue regime to curb its weapons program, according to reports.
“Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear program is a crude violation of UN Security Council resolutions, undermines the non-proliferation regime and creates a threat to the security of northeastern Asia,” Putin said at a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday.
“At the same time, it is clear that it is impossible to resolve the problem of the Korean peninsula only by sanctions and pressure,” he said.
During their meeting in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Moon urged Putin to back stricter penalties against President Kim Jong Un’s government after it successfully tested a nuclear bomb on Sunday that could be attached to an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland.
But Putin said more sanctions are not an answer and would only cause hardship for the North Korean people.
“We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner,” he said. “As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions.”
Still, Moon said the two leaders agree that “quickly solving” the threat posed by North Korea’s escalating military provocations was critical to reducing tensions in the region.
“Myself and President Putin share a view that North Korea has gone the wrong way with its nuclear and missile program and that easing tension on the Korean peninsula is an urgent issue,” Moon said during the news conference.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called for another round of sanctions against Pyongyang on Monday during an emergency meeting of the Security Council.
The UN in August imposed a series of penalties against North Korea trade — including coal, iron and seafood — that is expected to cost the country about $1 billion a year.
With Post wires