MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The six-party talks were launched in 2003, aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program via negotiations involving Russia, the United States, China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. The negotiations reached a stalemate when Pyongyang withdrew from the talks in 2009 and carried out several nuclear and ballistic missile tests since then.
"I find the imposition of new sanctions [on North Korea] reasonable. I hope that the UN Security Council will continue to act unanimously. It is extremely important that the United States, Russia and China support each other in this question. And, of course, we are aimed at finding a negotiating format as it was with the six-party talks," Merkel told the Phoenix channel, as aired on the channel's Facebook page.
The chancellor reiterated her commitment to a peaceful solution of the North Korean crisis.
On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the North Korean crisis could not be resolved by military means, stressing that using threats and harsh wording as a response is wrong, apparently referring to US President Donald Trump's escalation of rhetoric toward Pyongyang.
The move prompted harsh criticism from Pyongyang which subsequently vowed to use any means possible to retaliate against the United States after the UNSC approved the new US-drafted sanctions. Trump in turn, warned, that North Korea’s possible actions would be met with "fire and fury" from the United States. Following the statement, Pyongyang said it is considering an attack near the Pacific island of Guam where several US military bases were located.
On Friday, Trump said that US military solutions are "fully in place, locked and loaded" should North Korea "act unwisely." However, after a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, who also called for a dialogue between the US and North Korea, the White House said that Washington will work with allies and partners to enforce United Nations sanctions and achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
