Voice of America: Russia, China urge easing of North Korea sanctions

Published Sept. 28, 2018. Updated Sept. 28 at 9:27 am

(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 23, 2017 North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. North Korea and Iran will dominate this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where US President Donald Trump will be firmly in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

Photo by AFP

Russia and China called September 27 for international sanctions to be eased on North Korea as an incentive for it to denuclearize. The call is seen by the West as jeopardizing the international consensus on pressuring Pyongyang.

“China firmly believes that pressure is not the end,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on North Korea. “Both implementing sanctions and promoting political settlement are equally important under Security Council resolutions.”