Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a thinly veiled swipe at the United States, has warned that “military hysteria” over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program could lead to “disaster.”
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, Lavrov told delegates that Russia "resolutely" condemns recent nuclear and missile tests by North Korea, but added that "military hysteria is not just an impasse, it's disaster."
Lavrov's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an executive order earlier in the day that expands sanctions on North Korea by targeting individuals and companies that trade with Pyongyang.
Russia also condemned unilateral U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying the move would undermine a collective response to Tehran.
Lavrov also urged Europe and the United States to work together with Russia on the UN Security Council resolution it sponsored on peacekeepers in the Donbas region.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 10,000 people since it erupted in April 2014.
