MOSCOW • Russian President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that the tense stand-off between North Korea and the US was on the verge of large-scale conflict and said it was a mistake to try to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear missile programme..
MOSCOW • Russian President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that the tense stand-off between North Korea and the US was on the verge of large-scale conflict and said it was a mistake to try to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear missile programme.
Mr Putin, who is due to attend a summit of the Brics nations in China next week, wrote in an article published on the Kremlin’s website that he favoured negotiations with North Korea instead. «It is essential to resolve the region’s problems through direct dialogue involving all sides without advancing any preconditions (for such talks) , » he wrote.
«Provocations, pressure, and bellicose and offensive rhetoric is the road to nowhere, » he added.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula had deteriorated so much that it was now «balanced on the verge of a large-scale conflict», said the Russian leader.
North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US and recently threatened to land missiles near the US Pacific territory of Guam.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang, which sees joint war games between the US and South Korea as preparations for invasion, raised the stakes in its stand-off with Washington and its allies by firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan.
