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Russia hopes US will not provoke North Korea to take dangerous steps

Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya urged the US and North Korean authorities to find ways to start a dialogue
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya  AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya
© AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

UNITED NATIONS, August 9. /TASS/. Russia expects the United States to refrain from moves that could provoke dangerous steps on the part of North Korea, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told reporters on Wednesday.

"We noted what he was saying. I think that our strong wish is that the United States keeps calm and refrains from any moves that would provoke another party into actions that might be dangerous," the diplomat stressed commenting on US President Donald Trump’s threats to North Korea and Pyongyang’s tough response.

He urged the US and North Korean authorities to find ways to start a dialogue and assured that, for its part, Russia is willing to do its utmost to encourage negotiations.

"As we said, we want the tensions to ease, and we have to start seriously about devising and inventing ways for a political dialogue on this issue," Nebenzya said.

According to the Russian diplomat, some time is needed to stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

He again drew attention to China’s initiative, which suggested freezing North Korea’s nuclear program in response to suspending the US-South Korean military drills. He also warned that the deployment of the US missile defense system to the Korean Peninsula will not help resolve the issue. According to Nebenzya, the THAAD systems will not be able to stop new ballistic missile launches. Nor will they contribute to the strategic balance in the region.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that North Korea should not make any more threats to the US. He vowed that Pyongyang’s threats "will be met with fire and the fury like the world has never seen." The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) later reported that the Korean People’s Army is drafting a plan for a preemptive missile strike against US military facilities in Guam, including Andersen Air Force Base where the B-52 strategic bombers are deployed.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has remained extremely tense amid Pyongyang’s vigorous efforts to develop its missile program.

In July, North Korean television reported the first successful launch of the Hwasong-14 ballistic missile. North Korea later announced it had successfully tested an ICBM, which sparked criticism from the US, Japan and South Korea. Washington has repeatedly stated that it does not rule out any options to solve the North Korean problem, including the military one.