Russia's president Vladimir Putin has warned that the crisis over North Korea could cause a "planetary catastrophe". He said if war broke out on the Korean Peninsular, there would be a huge loss of life. He told reporters at a meeting in China that talking and "peaceful dialogue" were the only ways to end the crisis. He warned the USA and North Korea that talking about military action and war was very dangerous. He said: "Ramping up military hysteria in such conditions is senseless. It's a dead end." Mr Putin said North Korea would never give up its nuclear programme. He said: "They will eat grass instead of stopping their nuclear programme, as long as they do not feel safe."
Tensions in Korea are reaching very dangerous levels. On Sunday, North Korea carried out its most powerful nuclear test ever. The United Nations Security Council met after to tell North Korea to stop its testing. Many countries called for stronger sanctions against North Korea. Mr Putin said sanctions have never worked and would never work. He said sanctions against North Korea would be useless and ineffective. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said North Korea was "begging for war" because of its words and actions. She said: "War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory."
