Moscow has called US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's comments "constructive." US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had appeared to reverse US North Korea policy.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
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Russia on Wednesday welcomed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's offer to start negotiations with North Korea over its disputed nuclear and missile weapons programs "without preconditions."
"We can state that such constructive statements impress us far more than the confrontational rhetoric that we have heard up to now. Undoubtedly this can be welcomed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov said the remarks aligned with Russia's repeated calls for dialogue in the standoff. "It was Putin who regularly and consistently called for all the parties involved to do all they would to set up channels for dialogue. Therefore, such statements (as Tillerson's) of course do give us satisfaction."
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Pyongyang was keen on entering talks with the US.
Tillerson appeared to reverse US policy toward North Korea on TuesdayImage: Getty Images/AFP/M. Ngan
Tillerson drops preconditions
Tillerson dropped preconditions on talks with Pyongyang during a speech on Tuesday in what appeared to be a reversal of US policy toward North Korea's nuclear and missile weapons programs.
"We are ready to talk anytime North Korea would like to talk. And we are ready to have the first meeting without preconditions," Tillerson said at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
The US' previous position was that North Korea would have to come to the negotiating table ready to give up on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The Russian President's spokesperson Dmitri Peskow welcomed Rex Tillerson's apparent turn-aboutImage: picture-alliance/M.Metzel
America's chief diplomat, whose recent disagreements with President Donald Trump over North Korea have cast doubt on his future in office, said the North would need to stop nuclear weapon and missile testing before the start of any negotiations.
But he said both sides could "at least sit down and see each other face to face and then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work towards."
Military exercises
Russia and China have attempted to strike a middle ground between North Korea and the US in recent months.
They have supported UN sanctions against the North, with both voting in September to pass the most far-reaching sanctions ever placed on North Korea.
Both countries support a "suspension-for-suspension" approach to the crisis. Under the proposal, Pyongyang would agree to stop tests in exchange for an end to US and South Korean military exercises.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
