Kremlin: Putin Has No Plans for Direct Dialogue with North Korean Leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned North Korea's recent hydrogen bomb test in discussions with leaders from China and Japan. Meanwhile, Putin's spokesperson stated that he currently has no intention of engaging in direct talks with North Korean officials. On Sunday, the Russian President and the Japanese Prime Minister condemned North Korea's actions during a phone call, with Putin calling for restraint from all parties. This sentiment was echoed in a meeting between the Presidents of China and Russia, where the Kremlin announced that both sides sought a direction towards finding a 'solution that is solely political and completely diplomatic.' This meeting took place on Sunday, September 3, in Xiamen, China, aimed at consulting on the situation in North Korea following the recent missile test. Xiamen is currently hosting talks among leaders of the BRICS countries, which include both China and Russia. According to the Kremlin spokesperson, Putin and Xi Jinping emphasized the unacceptability of nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and called for the denuclearization of the region. Although both countries supported the recent UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, their political and economic ties with North Korea have led the United States to criticize them regarding the growing threat from North Korea. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized China and Russia for providing economic groundwork for North Korea's missile and nuclear development programs, stressing that these two countries bear a 'unique and special responsibility' regarding the growing threat from North Korea to regional and global stability. The Security Council tightened sanctions in a new resolution passed in mid-August following two intercontinental missile tests by North Korea, making it so that if fully implemented, North Korea would lose $2 billion from its $3 billion revenue. Currently, China is North Korea's largest trading partner, accounting for more than three-quarters of North Korea's exports and imports. Russia's share of trade with North Korea is much smaller, but it remains North Korea's second-largest import partner and third-largest export partner.