Putin says solving crisis ‘impossible’ without dialogue

Sergei Bobylev | Contributor | Getty Images

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin looks on during a press conference following his meeting with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in as part of the 2017 Eastern Economic Forum at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday urged the international community to hold fresh talks to try to resolve the North Korean crisis, warning that progress would be “impossible” without a commitment to dialogue.

“It is clear that it is impossible to resolve the problem of the Korean Peninsula only by sanctions and pressure,” Putin told reporters at a joint news conference with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in.

Speaking in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Putin condemned North Korea’s ongoing nuclear and missile program, describing the tests as a flagrant violation of UN rules.