Putin Right to Say North Korea Sanctions Unlikely to Work - US Senator Graham

US Senator Lindsey Graham agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement, saying that diplomacy is the only way to reduce soaring tensions with North Korea.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is right to say that further sanctions on North Korea are unlikely to produce results, US Senator Lindsey Graham said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.

"Can’t believe I’m agreeing with Vladmir [sic] Putin, but I am — further sanctions on North Korea [are] very unlikely to work," Graham wrote.

Can’t believe I’m agreeing with Vladmir Putin but I am – further sanctions on North Korea very unlikely to work. https://t.co/1xAIk1tKtk

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) 5 сентября 2017 г.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin told journalists at the BRICS summit in China that North Korea will not abandon the development of nuclear weapons under the pressure of sanctions since it regards this program as a security issue, thus, the problem could only be solved by diplomatic means.

Washington is urging the UN Security Council to apply new sanctions in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test.

Commenting on the North Korean nuclear test, US President Donald Trump said Pyongyang's actions are "hostile and dangerous," emphasizing that the "talk of appeasement" would not work. He also reaffirmed the US readiness to protect the US and its allies by "using the full range of diplomatic, conventional, and nuclear capabilities at our disposal."

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.