Vladimir Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’ as Russian President insists sanctions against North Korea will not stop maniac Kim Jong-un
VLADIMIR Putin today warned of a global "catastrophe" saying imposing further sanctions on North Korea would be "useless and ineffective".
The Russian President condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test as "provocative" but said tougher sanctions on Kim Jong-un over its nuclear missile programme could lead to large-scale human suffering.
Speaking after a BRICs summit in China, Putin said: "Resorting to just any sanctions in this situation is useless and inefficient.
"It's a road to nowhere. Whipping up military hysteria this will lead to no good. It could cause a global catastrophe and an enormous loss of life."
"Resorting to just any sanctions in this situation is useless and inefficient."
Instead he called for dialogue on the crisis and warned against other actions that could cause the situation to escalate.
"All of this can lead to a global planetary catastrophe and a great number of victims," he said.
Putin said it was important that all parties affected by the crisis - including North Korea - not face "threats of annihilation" and "step on the path of cooperation".
His comments came after the US called for the "strongest possible measures" against North Korea for detonating what it called a hydrogen bomb on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Japan is planning for a possible mass evacuation of the nearly 60,000 Japanese citizens currently living in or visiting South Korea in the wake of North Korea’s latest nuclear weapons test.
It comes as North Korea reportedly moved an intercontinental ballistic missile towards its west coast - as the US declared Kim Jong-Un is “begging for war”.
South Korea’s Asia Business Daily cited an intelligence source saying the rocket was spotted moving on Monday - just a day after North Korea’s sixth and largest nuclear test.
North Korea, which has launch facilities for its missile program on its west coast, reportedly launched the rocket during the night to avoid surveillance.
South Korea’s defence ministry said they could not confirm the contents of the report but said the North was considered ready to launch more missiles at any time.
The report came as the US ambassador to the UN warned that North Korea was “begging for war” and the United States’ patience has almost run out.
Calling on the UN to impose the “strongest possible measures” against Pyongyang, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said: “The time has come to exhaust all diplomatic means before it is too late.
“Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants.
“We don’t want it now, but our country’s patience is not unlimited.”
Ms Haley also warned China it could also face biting sanctions if it doesn’t step up its punishment, warning that the US “will look at every country that does business with North Korea, that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions”.
She added: “The stakes could not be higher”.
Pyongyang warned the US will face its “greatest disaster” if it continues to “provoke” North Korea after it claimed to have carried out a "successful hydrogen bomb" on Sunday.
The article in the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said: "If the US persists in its hostile policy towards the DPRK and makes a showdown with the latter to the end, while denying the strategic position of the DPRK, it will only face the final miserable end.”
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Yesterday, South Korea's navy conducted another live-fire exercise to continue its displays of military capability after North Korea alarmed the region with its latest nuclear test.
It comes around 24 hours after the South's army and air force conducted a joint drill involving F-15 fighter jets and land-based ballistic missiles that simulated an attack on North Korea's nuclear test site to "strongly warn" Pyongyang.
Diplomats in New York went to work last night to draw up a new sanctions resolution to go to a vote next Monday.
Britain joined the push for tougher trade sanctions against Pyongyang, that include bringing Kim’s regime to its knees with a total embargo on oil imports.
President Trump also revealed he was considering a military attack on North Koreans on Sunday, tweeting: “They only understand one thing!”
But Downing Street distanced themselves from America’s response.
Mrs May’s spokesman said: “As the Prime Minister made clear yesterday, and the Foreign Secretary made clear, our focus is on working with partners to increase pressure on North Korea and find a diplomatic solution to the crisis”.
The test triggered an 6.3-magnitude artificial quake - ten times larger than any of North Korea's previous attempts.
But there is still speculation over whether it was a hydrogen bomb, an atomic detonation or a boosted fissile weapon.
‘PERFECT RESULT’ North Korea celebrates ‘successful hydrogen bomb test’
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Institute claims to have carried out a “perfect” hydrogen bomb test.
In a statement, officials said the test “confirmed the reliability of the concentration-type nuke detonation control system fully verified through a nuclear warhead detonation test and test-launches of various ballistic rockets.”
The statement said: “The perfect success in the test of the H-bomb for ICBM clearly proved that the Juche-based nukes of the DPRK have been put on a highly precise basis.
“The creditability of the operation of the nuclear warhead is fully guaranteed and the design and production technology of nuclear weapons of the DPRK has been put on a high level to adjust its destructive power in consideration of the targets and purposes.
“It also marked a very significant occasion in attaining the final goal of completing the state nuclear force.”
The launch was seen as a direct challenge to Trump, who has vowed to stop North Korea developing nuclear weapons that could threaten the United States.
Hours after the test, the White House warned North Korea of "total annihilation" after Kim Jong-un detonated a new thermonuclear bomb.
Trump has refused to rule out a US attack on North Korea after the rogue nation issued a "severe warning" to America.
US President took to Twitter, writing: "North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States.
"North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success."
He then added: "South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!"
The president also tweeted to say that the US was considering cutting economic ties with any countries that do business with North Korea.
China has since branded Trump's trade threat over North Korea as "unacceptable" and "unfair".
What's the difference between a hydrogen bomb and an atomic bomb?
A HYDROGEN bomb is far more powerful than conventional atomic weapons.
While A-bombs use nuclear fission to create an explosion, the H-bomb gets an extra boost of nuclear fusion — the process that powers our sun. One would wipe out all life in a two-mile radius, obliterating a city the size of Leeds or Cardiff in a flash.
The main problem is making the device small enough to fit inside a missile warhead.