Russian media on North Korea developments

Kremlin Strikes Back at US Envoy to UN Warmongering Remarks After DPRK Nuke Test

Sputnik,

4 September, 2017

The Kremlin commented on US US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's controversial remarks following the North Korean nuclear test, stating that Kim Jong Un "is begging for war."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday called on the states neighboring North Korea, as well as other parties involved to be wiser and pursue a balanced approach to the Korea crisis.

"In this context, it is easy for the extra-regional countries to use the world 'war,' but those countries in the same region with North Korea and in the same region with the Korean Peninsula, have to be much wiser and balanced in their approaches to this very serious problem witch causes our common concern," Peskov told reporters, commenting on Haley's controversial remarks.

Peskov pointed out that a statement on the North Korean issue by Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya was much more constructive. The Russian diplomat strongly condemned Pyongyang's nuclear test, however, emphasized that no military solution to the North Korean crisis is acceptable.

"Nebenzya noted that in the current situation, we are calling on everyone to be calm because the settlement of the Korean issue is only possible through the diplomatic and political means," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Earlier in the day, Haley said that North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was "begging for war" by continuing defiance of UN resolutions on the country's nuclear and missile programs. Haley also slammed the so-called "double freeze plan" for resolving the nuclear and missile crisis on the Korean Peninsula, advocated by China and Russia, calling it "insulting".

As tensions on the Korean Peninsula have further escalated this summer, Russia and China proposed the "double freeze" plan to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, urging North Korea to stop nuclear tests, while calling on the US and South Korea to refrain from joint drills. The US has already rejected the peace plan.

Following the North Korean nuclear test on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to "react in a relevant manner" to the move.

S.Korea, US to lift warhead weight limit on South Korean missiles

The US agreed to allow South Korea deploy heavier warheads on its missiles after the latest nuclear test by Pyongyang. The existing limit set in a missile pact between Washington and Seoul is 500 kg.

The agreement to lift the weight limit was reached by US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in a phone call on Monday, the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.

With tensions rising on the Korean peninsula, Donald Trump also gave “conceptual approval” for billions worth of US weapons to be sold to South Korea.

The military cooperation between the US and South Korea places restrictions on missiles that South Korea may deploy on its soil. In 2012, Washington agreed to extend the range limit to 800km, but preserved the 500kg cap on payload weight.

'Enough is enough': Kim Jong-un begging for war, US patience not unlimited – US envoy to UN

'All options are on the table': Trump hints strike on North Korea possible, set to meet w/ generals 

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