Peace in serious jeopardy; no military solution to Korean peninsula crisis – Russia’s UN envoy
RT.com
4 Sep, 2017
China’s UN envoy has called on Pyongyang to “stop taking actions that are wrong” and which deteriorate the situation on the Korean peninsula, adding that North Korea should return to dialogue.
“A comprehensive settlement to the nuclear and other issues plaguing the Korean peninsula can be arrived at solely through political diplomatic channels, including by leveraging the mediation efforts of the United Nations secretary-general,” said Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya.
“We strongly urge (North Korea) … stop taking actions that are wrong, deteriorating the situation and not in line with its own interests either and truly return to the track of resolving the issue through dialogue,” China’s UN ambassador Liu Jieyi said.
The envoy has called on all parties to “seriously consider” the double-freeze plan proposed by China and Russia and “actively respond to it.” The plan would see Pyongyang suspend its missile tests in exchange for a halt in joint US-South Korean drills. The plan has been rejected by Washington.
It comes after US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said earlier on Monday that it was time for the Security Council to impose “the strongest possible measures” on North Korea over its six and largest nuclear test conducted on Sunday, because “enough is enough.”
Haley said the sanctions approach towards Pyongyang since 2006 has not worked, and accused North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of “begging for war.”
“Despite our efforts the North Korea nuclear program is more advanced and more dangerous than ever,” Haley told the council. “War is never something the United States wants. We don’t want it now. But our country’s patience is not unlimited.”
The United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, also slammed North Korea’s actions on Monday, calling Pyongyang’s most recent test a “dangerous provocation” that is destabilizing for the region and the international community.
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