North Korean nuclear problem can’t be solved by force: Russia

North Korea declared on Tuesday it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile – a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States.

Russia and China oppose any attempt to resolve the North Korean crisis by force or by strangling North Korea economically, the Russian foreign minister said on Wednesday, commenting on rising tensions in the region after Pyongyang’s latest missile test.

The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen during its test launch in Pyongyang. (Reuters)

“The task of the denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula cannot and should not be used as a disguise for attempts to change North Korea’s regime. This is our common position,” Sergei Lavrov told a news conference.