Russia Ready to Help Deescalate Tensions With North Korea

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Moscow is urging all parties to the Korean crisis to take efforts to deescalate tensions on the Korean peninsula, and stands ready to foster these efforts, Russia's Deputy Envoy to the UN Vladimir Safronkov said following the vote on the new sanctions against Pyongyang at the UN Security Council on Friday.

"We once again call upon the stakeholders to promptly undertake practical measures with the aim to deescalate tensions," Safronkov said. "Russia stands ready to foster such efforts and has already been facilitating such efforts."

The Security Council has unanimously voted in favor of the resolution to introduce new sanctions against North Korea for its continuing ballistic missile tests.

"It is important to attempt to settle the situation through creative approaches. Isolation and pressure must give way to dialogue and talks," Safronkov said.

"We are positioned to closely engage with all partners with the aim of expeditiously dealing with the host of issues plaguing the Korean peninsula through the only possible avenues, specifically politically and diplomatically, through mutually respectful dialogue," he added.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated drastically this year as North Korea has continued to make progress in its nuclear arms program, which led to the imposition of the toughest ever sanctions by the UN Security Council on the country.

In November, North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, which according to Pyongyang, was capable of hitting any part of the US mainland.