Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko asserted that Western pressure, led by the United States and its allies, prompted Pyongyang to conduct missile tests and to prepare militarily. He shared these views while in Phuket for the opening ceremony of the Russian Consulate General in Thailand, as reported by TASS.
According to Rudenko, all missile launches and related military activities are reactions to actions taken by the United States and its partners.
Rudenko also noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry had not received any data indicating that fragments from a North Korean missile had crossed into Russia’s exclusive economic zone after a recent launch.
On July 14, the ministry stated that the DPRK missile had fallen within Russia’s exclusive economic zone.
On July 13, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile named Hwaseong-18, which traveled more than a thousand kilometers.
Earlier reports indicated European discussions about possibly violating the Iran nuclear deal.