News / Russia

World must stop intimidating North Korea after missile launch: Putin

Monday, 15 May 2017 3:41 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 15 May 2017 3:42 PM ]

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to the media after the Belt and Road Forum at the China National Convention Center at the Yanqi Lake venue outside the Chinese capital, Beijing, on May 15, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the latest missile test by North Korea was “counterproductive, harmful and dangerous,” but urges the world to engage in talks with Pyongyang instead of intimidating it.

“I want to confirm that we are categorically against the expansion of the club of nuclear powers, including with the Korean Peninsula and North Korea," Putin said in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Monday.

North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile from the northwestern city of Kusong at around 5:30 a.m. (2030 GMT Saturday) and it flew 787 kilometers (489 miles) before landing in the sea between North Korea and Japan, the South Korean military said in a statement.

Putin condemned as unacceptable the type of North Korea’s nuclear tests in recent weeks, stressing the importance of finding a peaceful solution to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

“We need to return to dialogue with North Korea and stop scaring it and find ways to resolve these problems peacefully,” the Russian president said.

He said the ongoing events in the world, particularly the flagrant violations of international law and incursions into the territory of foreign states as well as attempts for regime change, are among the main reasons behind such kinds of “arms races” across the globe.

The Russian president did not clearly specify the countries he had in mind but he has repeatedly criticized the United States for carrying out military operations in Iraq, Libya and Syria and said Washington is making efforts to overthrow legitimate governments.

“In this connection, we need to act in a joined-up way [and] strengthen the system of international guarantees with the help of international law and with the help of the UN Charter,” Putin said.

It is possible to pursue such an approach given Moscow’s “positive experience” of holding talks with Pyongyang in the past, he added.

The Russian president expressed regret that certain participants in the negotiations process did not have enough patience when North Korea announced it was suspending such kind of nuclear program. “I think we need to return to this,” he said.

Putin added that the Russian defense minister had informed him on North Korea's latest missile test.

“This missile launch presented no threat to us, but it of course escalates this conflict and there is nothing good about that.”

The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday rejected claims that Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile test posed a danger to Moscow as it landed about 500 kilometers off its border.

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