Putin: World approaching "global catastrophe" over North Korea
Speaking at the closure of the BRICS summit in Beijing, which hosted the leaders of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa, Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned North Korea's nuclear tests and warned the world of an approaching "global catastrophe". In light of Pyongyang's latest nuclear tests, he cautioned against "military hysteria", and said that the only way to avoid crisis is through diplomacy.
"We know that North Korea has nukes, we also know that North Korea has long-range artillery...So we think that this military hysteria will not lead to good results. It could lead to global catastrophe with lots of victims," said the Russian leader.
Putin said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had realized that the only way to ensure the continuity of his regime was through the development of nuclear weapons. The Russian leader also holds an opinion that UN sanctions against North Korea would be "useless and ineffective" owing to the North Korean dictator's bullish outlook.
"They will eat grass but they will not turn away from the path that will provide for their security," added Putin, saying that the North Korean leader would rather starve his people than see his regime overthrown.
On Sunday, North Korea claimed to have carried its sixth nuclear test with a hydrogen bomb. Although its claims have not been independently confirmed, seismological data indicated that a powerful bomb had indeed been detonated - the most powerful one yet by Pyongyang. North Korea also claims that it now has the capability to mount thermonuclear warheads on long-range ICBMs to strike the US.
Following Pyonyang's nuclear test, the US ambassador to the United Nations said that Kim Jong-un was "begging for war". Meanwhile, the South Korean navy conducted live-fire drills today to check its "immediate operational readiness". The South Korean airforce and army also conducted joint drills. South Korean President Moon Jae-in also spoke to Donald Trump about the payload weight of South Korea's ballistic missiles.
