Russia's foreign minister censures US 'bloodthirsty tirade' on North Korea
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described threats to destroy North Korea by the United States as "a bloodthirsty tirade."
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, earlier this week, warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out between the two countries.
Speaking on a visit to Rome on Friday, Lavrov strongly criticized the US diplomat’s comment, emphasizing that war and violence were not the correct way to solve the problem.
"If someone really wants to use force to, as the US representative to the United Nations put it, destroy North Korea ...then I think that is playing with fire and a big mistake," said Lavrov.
The Russian diplomat described Haley's reaction to the international crisis regarding North Korea, which she made at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, as "a really bloodthirsty tirade."
"We will do everything to ensure that (the use of force) doesn't happen so that the problem is decided only using peaceful and political-diplomatic means," Lavrov said.
US President Donald Trump and other officials have on numerous occasions threatened to use violent means against North Korea.
Pyongyang is already under all sorts of politico-economic pressure by the international community -- its main allies Russia and China included -- to stop its nuclear and missile programs.
It has, however, resisted the mounting pressure, voicing its concern about Washington’s aggressive stance toward the country.
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