Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister warned Monday that the situation is so fragile on the Korean Peninsula that the slightest error from any of the major parties could lead to war.
“There should be no room for escalation,” Sergei Ryabkov told reporters, according to Russia’s state-owned news service Tass.
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“Those who are smarter and stronger should show restraint,” he said. “Given the current situation, any miscalculation may lead to a political or military outbreak, rather than to a nuclear test like the one recently conducted, which actually reflects the deteriorating situation in Northeast Asia.”
President Trump has said all options are on the table for dealing with North Korea’s repeated missile tests and its weekend test of a hydrogen bomb.
But Ryabkov diplomacy was the only way to resolve the growing tensions.
“We believe that Pyongyang should stop its provocative actions, which destabilize the situation, but after saying this, I cannot but point out that this protracted crisis can only be resolved through political and diplomatic means,” he said.
He also specifically rejected the idea of sanctions, something the U.S. is considering as part of the solution. Some are saying the U.S. needs to impose real restrictions on the economies of any country that does business with North Korea.
Ryabkov said the U.S. is “unfortunately … still more inclined to use the language of sanctions and threats rather than to search for solutions through diplomatic means.”
