Russia Backs China's Proposal at UN on End to N Korea Nuclear Tests

Russia at the UN Security Council's meeting supported China's proposal, calling on North Korea to refrain from nuclear tests in exchange for the termination of joint US-South Korean military drills on the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Friday, a UN Security Council meeting on North Korean issue was held in New York. The Russian side was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.

"Russia supported China's proposal on 'double suspension' (suspension of missile and nuclear tests by Pyongyang in exchange for termination of US-South Korean military drills near North Korean border) as a starting point for political negotiations," the statement said.

No decisions were adopted within the meeting, the statement specified.

The situation on the Korean peninsula grew tense, as North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests in recent months. The latest launch was carried out earlier on Saturday when Pyongyang launched a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile from a site north of the country's capital. Japan, South Korea and the United States said the test appeared to have failed after the missile broke up within North Korean territory.

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