President Vladimir Putin has expressed his concerns over North Korea and has remarked that imposing sanctions would not pay dividends. He also said that the tense situation in the Korean peninsula is gradually spiraling out of control with the exchange of threats and counter threats between the United States and North Korea and some alternate line of action is required to convince Pyongyang to put an end to its activities connected to the development of nuclear weapons.
It may be recalled that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) had unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea to target its coal exports which is its major revenue earner.
The reason for the sanctions was the launch of two long-range missiles in July. In the opinion of Putin, such measures will not produce the desired results.
Suggestions of President Vladimir Putin
According to Daily Mail UK, the Russian president feels that pressurizing North Korea to abandon its programs related to nuclear missiles is not only misguided but a futile exercise. Vladimir Putin feels that the problem must be approached with a different frame of mind and the issue must be settled through dialogue where all the parties must participate. Such a dialogue should not have any strings attached.
President Putin has also indicated that his country has prepared a plan with China which could help to defuse the situation and create a mechanism to ensure peace in the region and its security.
Korea peninsula in tension
The adamant attitude of North Korea and its series of missile tests has created tension in the region and its latest test of firing a missile over Japan has added to the uncertainties. The UNSC wants Pyongyang to halt such programs and US President Donald Trump has talked about carrying out pre-emptive strikes.
US warships are already positioned in the vicinity.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a telephonic conversation with United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, emphasized that resorting to military actions to solve the problem could have grave consequences.
The only strategy to bring back normalcy in the Korean peninsula is to have a diplomatic approach as suggested by Vladimir Putin.
When nuclear weapons come to the center stage, the results will be a disaster of unimaginable proportions and all the countries realize that such a confrontation is undesirable. The latest round of sanctions has hurt the economy of North Korea and its leadership has to understand that it has to come to the bargaining table. Fighter and bombers are in readiness and people are being educated on precautions to be taken in case of a nuclear attack when the reaction time would be in minutes. The fact remains that threats and counter threats will not resolve the crisis. Someone has to take the initiative to do a balancing act.
