U.S. advises China and Russia to speak with North Korea deeply after missile tests

U.S. advises China and Russia to speak with North Korea deeply after missile tests.  

WASHINGTON– After North Korea started intercontinental ballistic missile tests this week, China and Russia should warn the country to avoid more “provocations,” according to US State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter.

“China and Russia should send a strong message to (North Korea) to refrain from further provocations,” Porter said at a regular news briefing before a United Nations Security Council meeting later on Friday to discuss the launch. find out more

North Korea claimed to have fired a large, new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, a test that its leader, Kim Jong Un, said was intended to display the power of its nuclear arsenal and deter any military actions by the United States. It was the first full ICBM test by the nuclear-armed country since 2017.

Porter termed the launch a “brazen” breach of UN Security Council resolutions, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

“We urge all countries to hold the DPRK accountable for such violations, and we also call on the DPRK to sit down for genuine talks,” she said.

She said she couldn’t comment on China and Russia’s possible Security Council positions but added:

“This problem is still in the early phases of consultation. Nevertheless, developments should worry all countries, especially those who share a border with North Korea. The decision by the DPRK to resume ICBM tests is a clear escalation.”

North Korea’s most recent ICBM launches sparked UN Security Council sanctions in 2017. Still, the US and its allies are at odds with Russia and China over the Ukraine conflict, making a reaction more difficult.