Ryabkov: Pyongyang won't reject dialogue if US supports Russia-China plan

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that US' plans to strengthen sanctions against Pyongyang will not bear fruit, adding that it is vital to stop trading threats for all the parties to the ongoing conflict and engage in dialogue, Sputnik reports.

Russia is worried about the Western approach to the North Korean crisis that is overwhelmed by the "policy of pressure," Ryabkov said, adding that it is regrettable that Washington and Pyongyang keep putting forward preconditions delaying the start of a dialogue. He added that the military activities by both sides hamper the peace process.

"The situations when the logic of practical measures in the military area, let it be nuclear or missile tests carried out by North Korea or drills conducted by the United States and its allies, lead to the same result — the political process is not moving forward, the circumstances are getting worse, the situation is forced into a deadlock with the risk of uncontrolled escalation," Ryabkov said.