Russian Foreign Ministry Calls to Drop Further Sanctions Pressure on North Korea

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The complicated situation on the Korean Peninsula cannot be solved by tightening sanctions on North Korea, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday, adding that political and diplomatic efforts can bring stability to the region.

"We sincerely urge everyone to turn away from escalation leading to a stalemate and resume the collective search for political and diplomatic solutions. This is the only possible way to reduce the level of confrontation and unacceptable risks, boost trust and, ultimately, reach a long-term solution to the situation around the Korean Peninsula, which would take into account the interests of all parties involved," Zakharova said in a statement.

The spokeswoman stressed that the fact that Washington introduced this resolution to the UN Security Council demonstrates that the political hard-liners have run out of other tools to ease the tensions.

"We are convinced that the policy of stepping up sanctions pressure on North Korea has reached its limits at this stage. Introducing new international restrictions is wrong and futile, and from the point of view of their humanitarian consequences it is simply inhumane, especially considering the spread of the coronavirus," Zakharova stressed.

She noted that Pyongyang is "worn out" by the long-standing UN sanctions regime and "unlawful unilateral measures" that hit ordinary North Koreans the hardest.

The vetoed resolution would tighten sanctions on vessels serving a role in North Korea's nuclear weapon or ballistic missile program, according to a copy of the draft obtained by Sputnik. The measure would also seek to prohibit North Korea from exporting mineral fuels, mineral oils and other products of their distillation.

North Korea has implemented a "maximum emergency" virus control system since detecting its first coronavirus cases in late April with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordering a lockdown in all cities and counties in order to stop the spread of the virus.

On Thursday, Russia and China vetoed the US-sponsored resolution at the UN Security Council to impose additional restrictive measures on North Korea. The United States undertook the initiative after North Korea test-launched three ballistic missiles this week toward the Sea of Japan just hours after President Joe Biden concluded his trip to South Korea and Japan for meetings with his counterparts to discuss regional security and trade.