Intervention to avert war now required

For weeks tension has been simmering as the US and North Korean governments engage in an increasingly fraught war of words. The rhetoric has been alarming, but most people have dismissed the exchanges – many of which have come through the medium of social media – as little more than sabre-rattling.

There is little doubt Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are sincere in their intense exchanges, but one rather hopes teams of advisors on both sides will stop the situation from careering toward a terrifying, catastrophic conclusion.

Worryingly, a respected defence think tank yesterday warned that a war with North Korea is now a “real possibility”, with the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Royal United Services Institute cited a growing risk that the US President – not known for his reserves of patience – will act in a bid to “resolve” the situation “sooner rather than later”.

There is even a suggestion that the US could act without South Korea’s agreement, effectively meaning it would be prepared to “sacrifice Seoul to protect New York”.

While other global super powers – including the UK – have expressed concern over the deteriorating situation, there has been little in the way of meaningful intervention.

There is now a heavy burden on the shoulders of all such nations.