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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

North Korea’s latest missile test was response to US actions - Russian senior diplomat

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said the United States seemed to have deliberately provoked North Korea to take tough actions

BERLIN, December 5. /TASS/. Pyongyang’s latest missile test launch was a response to the aggressive actions of the United States near the Korean Peninsula, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor MOrgulov said on Tuesday.

"During consultations, US representatives said that in case North Korea keeps silence regime in place for two months the United States would reduce its military activity in the region," he said. "But, regrettably, instead of a silence regime on both sides we saw Washington increasing its military activity on the Korean Peninsula."

"And what would you expect from Pyongyang," he said referring to North Korea’s missile launch on November 29 (the previous such launch was conducted on September 15 - TASS).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on November 30 that the United States seemed to have deliberately provoked North Korea to take tough actions. "Washington’s recent steps seem to be deliberately aimed at provoking Pyongyang to take some tough actions," he said.

According to the Russian top diplomat, back in September, the US hinted that the next military drills in the region were set to be held in spring, so "North Korea could take advantage of the break and refrain from desperate moves, and why not try to build dialogue in this situation." "We were encouraged by such statements. And suddenly they [the US and their regional allies] are holding unscheduled drills in October - although they mentioned spring - then in December and then the next drills are going to take place in December," he said.

In the morning on November 29, North Korea conducted a missile launch, the first one since September 15. According to North Korea’s Central News Agency (KCNA), a Hwasong-15 missile covered a distance of 950 kilometers in 53 minutes, reaching an altitude of 4,475 kilometers. The Japanese Defense Ministry said the missile had fallen into the sea in Japan's exclusive economic zone, 250 kilometers west off the coast of Japan’s Aomori Prefecture.

Experts say it was an utterly new missile capable of covering a distance of up to 13,000 kilometers. Thus, the entire United States’ territory may be in its impact zone.

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