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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

Putin, Xi Jinping voice concern over escalating situation on Korean peninsula

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday from the area north-west of the town of Kusong

BEIJING, May 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have voiced their concern over the situation on the Korean peninsula after North Korea’s new ballistic missile launch on Sunday.

"Naturally, they [Putin and Xi Jinping] talked quite in detail about the situation on the Korean peninsula and expressed their mutual concern over how this situation was developing and how tension was rising," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"They expressed concern over the escalation of tension, including in the wake of a new launch [of a missile by North Korea]," Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman declined to answer questions about where North Korea had launched its missile and advised journalists to refer these issues to military specialists. Putin’s spokesman said he was sure that the Russian Defense Ministry was monitoring the situation.

"The meeting with Xi Jinping was very detailed and very substantive. They made a survey and synchronized watches for the list of the topical issues of bilateral relations and exchanged opinions on regional problems," Peskov said.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, ‘this exchange of opinions was continued during the lunch [of both leaders] as well."

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday from the area north-west of the town of Kusong. According to the Japanese government’s data, the missile flew about 800 km and fell in the Sea of Japan 400 km away from mainland Japan but outside its exclusive economic zone. Last time Pyongyang test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile from that region was in February this year.

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Foreign policy North Korea Situation on the Korean Peninsula

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