Stephen Lendman

America’s response was expected, Trump tweeting:

“North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States…..”

“North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.”

“South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!”

As usual, he’s dead wrong. Washington poses the only regional threat, not Pyongyang. Instead of trying to resolve contentious issues diplomatically, he chooses hostility and threats instead - accomplishing nothing but heightening tensions more than already.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said he’s preparing tough new US sanctions on Pyongyang, aiming to cut off “all trade and other business.”

“(A)nybody that wants to do trade or business with them would be prevented from doing trade or business with us.”

“I will submit new sanctions for (Trump’s) strong consideration. There’s much more we can do economically,” he blustered.

We’ll “consider everything. We’re not going to broadcast our action. I did speak with the president. It’s clear this behavior is unacceptable”

“I will draft a sanctions bill and send it to the president. We will work with our allies. We will work with China. But people need to cut off North Korea economically.”

His threat won’t deter China and Russia from engaging with Pyongyang responsibly.

Ahead of Sunday’s nuclear test, Putin said “believes that the policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear missile program is misguided and futile.”

“The region’s problems should only be settled through a direct dialogue of all the parties concerned without any preconditions. Provocations, pressure and militarist and insulting rhetoric are a dead-end road.”

He called Korean peninsula brinksmanship a “balancing (act) on the brink of a large-scale conflict.” Russia and China created a diplomatic roadmap for engaging with Pyongyang Washington rejects.

Moscow and Beijing strongly urge denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Both nations denounced the DPRK’s Sunday nuclear test. In China for the BRICS summit through Tuesday, Putin and Xi Jinping agreed on dealing with the situation on the peninsula responsibly.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged restraint to prevent further escalation of tensions - unlikely given how Washington consistently stokes them.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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