Punishing North Korea with additional sanctions would be “counterproductive and dangerous,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday.
According to an online statement on the Foreign Ministry's website, Lavrov and Tillerson discussed North Korea’s latest missile launch, Syria, and the Persian Gulf.
The United States and Russia agreed Pyongyang’s missile launch represented another serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions, while Lavrov urged the United States from taking military action against North Korea that could lead to “unpredictable consequences," the statement said.
On Tuesday, in defiance of warnings from the United States, North Korea launched a ballistic missile which passed over Japan. International sanctions against North Korea began in 2006 over the isolated country’s nuclear ambitions.
The latest round of U.S. sanctions passed in August would deprive the country of as much as one-third of its $3 billion annual export revenue, by targeting the country’s major industries, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
