Russia warns new US sanctions against North Korea may prove DANGEROUS amid WW3 fears
RUSSIA has warned imposing new sanctions against North Korea could be “counterproductive and dangerous” as Kim Jong-un ordered his nation to launch more ballistic missiles.
Kim Jong-un’s aggression has sparked World War 3 fears but Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov cautioned the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson against imposing fresh sanctions or pursuing military action against the rogue state.
During a telephone conversation on Wednesday with Mr Tillerson, the Russian official stressed that imposing more sanctions to pressure Pyongyang to end its missile program was "counterproductive and dangerous”.
Mr Lavrov also warned US military action against the rogue regime could cause "unpredictable consequences”.
The Russian foreign minister’s comments come after Donald Trump’s administration vowed that all options were still on the table.
President Trump later tweeted that the time for talking with North Korea was over following an earlier threat to retaliate with “fire and fury”.
He said: “The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!”
Russia has previously criticised the US for using the same warmongering threats as North Korea.
Speaking about the escalated tensions, Maria Zakharova, from the Russian foreign ministry, said: “We [the ministry] have repeatedly said that the situation is on edge.
Counterproductive and dangerous
“But despite this, we hear both the rhetoric of Pyongyang and the statements coming every day from Washington.
“The paradox is that they are identical. It is an open threat of use of force from both sides.”
She added that if war breaks out, it will be a collapse "on the global scale with complete violation of international law”.
Russia has been one of North Korea’s very few allies since the Cold War and the nations shares a narrow border near the port town of Vladivostok.
Ms Zakharova continued: ”If people in 2017 do not understand what the threat of nuclear weapons is, that it is a threat to the entire world, then what are we talking about?"
Mr Lavrov’s comments come after North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan.
Just days before the rogue had fired three missiles towards the Sea of Japan, which either failed in flight or exploded almost immediately.
Kim Jong-un’s regime has previously threatened to launch four IRBMs towards the US territory Guam – but the dictator has so far held off on giving the final order.
Earlier this week the US tested its missile defence system in Hawaii as it shot down a medium-range rocket, similar to those used by North Korea.
Missile Defence Agency director Lt Gen Sam Greaves said: “We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone in giving our Aegis BMD ships an enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.
“We will continue developing ballistic missile defence technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves.”