MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia hopes the rhetoric of mutual threats from the leadership in the United States and North Korea has cooled down, Lavrov said at a press conference.
"We are noting that this rhetoric has quieted down recently, and it is probably to be hoped that the hot heads have cooled down," the minister noted.
US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang earlier in July of "fire and fury" if it doesn't stop its provocations. North Korea then said it was considering a missile attack near the US Pacific territory of Guam. However, after weeks of posturing, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pulled back on his threat to test fire ballistic missiles off the coast of Guam.
Speaking of the sanctions, Lavrov said that Russia will not support moves that would "suffocate" the North Korean economy and lead to dire humanitarian consequences.
"We cannot support the ideas that some of our partners continue to nourish and that are aimed literally at the economic suffocation of North Korea with all the negative, tragic humanitarian consequences for the North Korean citizens," Lavrov said, noting that the possibilities for economic pressure on North Korea have almost been "exhausted."
The situation on the Korean Peninsula has become aggravated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
