Russia Warns Of Possible “Apocalyptic Scenario” On Korean Peninsula

Monday, November 27, 2017
By Paul Martin

by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Nov 27, 2017

Russian deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov said on Monday that “an apocalyptic scenario of developments” on the Korean Peninsula is possible, but Russia hopes that a common sense would prevail among the involved parties.

“A scenario of the apocalyptic development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula exists and we cannot turn our blind eye to it,” Morgulov said speaking at the opening of the eighth annual Asian Conference of the Valdai discussion club in Seoul. “I hope that a common sense, pragmatism and an instinct of self-preservation would prevail among our partners to exclude such negative scenario,” the Russian diplomat said, quoted by Russia’s Tass.

Fire and brimstone aside, Morgulov noted that a phase of calm appeared to be returning as North Korea’s current pause in provocations – the longest since last winter – indicates a step toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. “I think North Korea’s restraint for the past two months is within the simultaneous freeze road map” suggested by China and Russia, Morgulov told reporters in Seoul on Monday according to Bloomberg. North Korea’s last provocation was on Sept. 15, when it fired its second missile over Japan in as many months. The 73-day pause is the longest since a 116-day break between October 2016 and February.

Russian and Chinese foreign ministers proposed in July a “double freezing” initiative, under which North Korea refrains from missile and nuclear tests, and the U.S. and South Korea halt large-scale military exercises, however the U.S. has rejected this proposal, arguing that its drills are defensive in nature. Earlier this month, it carried out its first exercise in a decade using three aircraft carriers in the region, and plans to conduct drills with South Korea’s air force in early December.

Morgulov, Russia’s deputy minister responsible for relations with East and South Asia, said that following a “freeze for freeze” the next step would be to hold exchanges with Pyongyang. Once North Korea agrees to a moratorium on testing and talks are taking place, the process can move to discussion of denuclearization, he said. “We will have to see a certain change of attitude of the U.S., especially on freezing or reducing” its military drills, Morgulov said. “It’ll be difficult for us to play the role of persuading North Korea” not to provoke anymore without a change in the U.S. position.

Despite the impasse, and underscoring Russia’s argument, the diplomat said that “we have told North Korea many times that for us [its] nuclear status is unacceptable,” adding that “we continue this work with the North Korean counterparts presenting to them our position.”

Moscow negatively assess joint military drills of the United States with its allies in the region of the Korean Peninsula, while North Korea keeps a two-month pause in missile and nuclear tests, he went on.

“Considering the two-month long period of silence, the United States is not planning to reduce the scale of its regular military exercises, but also plan holding sudden drills as well,” Morgulov said. “Unfortunately, this is the answer, which North Korea gets in response to its two-month silence,” the Russian diplomat said adding that Moscow “assesses it negatively.” “I believe that both the North Korean nuclear tests and joint military drills of the United States with its allies are definitely of a negative nature,” Morgulov said.

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