Russia Calls for DC-Moscow Talks on North Korea Sanctions

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov called for direct talks between the United States and Russia on North Korea after the U.S. announced “the largest package” of sanctions against North Korea, to pressure Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear and missile programs.

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Pyongyang has defended its nuclear and missile program calling it a “deterrent to U.S. imperialism,” and is unlikely to dismantle it.  

According to TASS news agency, Morgulov said on Saturday “I‘m sure that the dynamic development of the current situation on the Korean peninsula calls for active Russo-American dialogue on this issue.”

Morgulov also reiterated Moscow had sent an invitation for talks to Joseph Yun, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy and stressed the need for negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.

In the early 1950s, during the Korean War, U.S. attacks leveled the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Fearing a new offensive, and without its former ally, the Soviet Union, North Korea has sought weapons if its own.

In spite of the context, the U.S. has used sanctions against Pyongyang as its sole mechanism to secure nuclear disarmament. This, while the U.S. continues to expand their nuclear arsenal the second largest in the world after Russia’s.

The largest package of sanctions receives the support of South Korea.

On Saturday Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kang Kyung-wha said the new “new U.S. sanctions will alert those who are illegally trading with North Korea and therefore bolster the international community to carry out resolutions from the U.N. Security Council,” aimed at pressing the isolated state to give up its development of nuclear weapons.