China Daily

Putin urges talks with Pyongyang, saying sanctions are not working

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VLADIVOSTO­K, Russia — President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow does not recognize the nuclear status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as its missile program threatens the security in Northeast Asia.

During the news conference following a meeting with his Republic of Korea’s counterpar­t, Moon Jae-in, on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin reiterated Moscow’s stance of opposing the DPRK’s missile program, saying it extensivel­y violates UN Security Council resolution­s, undermines the global nonprolife­ration mechanism and threatens regional stability.

Putin also said hostility will not help solve the Korean Peninsula issue.

“Clearly, it is impossible to solve the Korean Peninsula issue by sanctions and pressure ... We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner,” he said. Vladimir Putin,

“As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions.”

He said Moscow and Beijing have come up with proposals on solving the issue under the framework of a joint “road map”. Therefore, Russia called upon all parties to take a closer look at the initiative which “offers a real way of reducing tensions and step-by-step settlement”.

Moon also condemned the DPRK’s missile tests, warning of bigger threat in the future.

He also said he and Putin had agreed on the urgency of easing tensions on the peninsula.

“Mr Putin and I agreed that nuclear and missile tests are the wrong way, and that the urgent task is to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

On Sunday, the DPRK successful­ly detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an interconti­nental ballistic missile, which was the sixth nuclear test by the country so far, further worsening the hair-trigger confrontat­ion on the peninsula.

THAAD deployment

Meanwhile, the remaining mobile launchers of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will be deployed to a military site in the ROK on Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

Two THAAD batteries have already been installed.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China is seriously concerned, adding the deployment could only severely undermine regional security and raise

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