Putin: The North Korean situation is on the brink of war
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is teetering on the brink of a large-scale conflict. He wrote this in an article on the eve of the BRICS summit, which will be held in Xiamen on September 4-5. The article was published on the Kremlin’s website.
“I cannot ignore the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has recently escalated and is teetering on the edge of a large-scale conflict,” said the Russian president.
Putin stressed that, in Russia's opinion, the notion that it is possible to stop North Korea’s nuclear missile program solely by putting pressure on Pyongyang “is erroneous and unlikely to yield results.”
According to him, it is possible to solve the problems in the region through direct dialogue that involves all interested parties and without setting preliminary conditions.
“Provocation, pressure, and combative and insulting rhetoric is the way to nowhere," the Russian leader said.
On the night of August 29, North Korea launched a ballistic missile in the direction of Japan. It flew over the territory of the country and crashed into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The missile traveled a distance of 2,700 kilometers and reached a maximum flight altitude of 550 kilometers.
The Hwasong-12 missile is the first North Korean missile in 20 years that can fly at such a high altitude over the territory of Japan.