Russia calls to avoid steps that may worsen situation around North Korea - Kremlin

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Russia calls on all parties to show restraint and avoid steps that may deteriorate the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. "As for the Korean Peninsula, certainly Moscow calls and continues calling on all parties to the conflict and those sides related to these affairs to show restraint and avoid any steps that may only worsen the situation," the Kremlin spokesman said commenting on US President Donald Trump’s statement on North Korea. Trump earlier told reporters that diplomatic efforts on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula have consistently failed and that "only one thing will work" in dealing with Pyongyang. The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense amid Pyongyang’s active development of its missile and nuclear programs and the US-South Korean military drills. In July, North Korea carried out two tests of ballistic missiles, and on August 29 and September 15 it launched two missiles, which flew over Japan’s territory. On September 3, Pyongyang announced a successful test of a hydrogen bomb. Late last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington was looking into resuming consultations with North Korea to settle the crisis. He noted that North Korea and the US government have open lines of communication. The next day, Trump wrote on his Twitter page that Tillerson "is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man" (nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un). Read more