BERLIN (Sputnik) — German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Wednesday called for a new detente amid the tensions involving North Korea and the need to prevent nuclear proliferation.
"We should find new ways [to tackle proliferation] and to cooperate with Russia and China. There are only three countries [in the world] that could effectively contribute to nuclear proliferation, namely Russia, China and the United States. That's why I call for a launch of a new detente policy. A new window [of opportunities] has opened and we should use it," Gabriel told the Nordwest-Zeitung newspaper.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly warned against an escalation on the Korean Peninsula amid US President Donald Trump's war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this month. During her recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Merkel reaffirmed that the Korean peninsula crisis can only be resolved through negotiation. She also called for the resumption of talks between all sides involved in the conflict.
On Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted its toughest resolution yet against North Korea over its latest nuclear test and repeated missile launches. Resolution 2375 restricts oil exports to Pyongyang, bans imports of textile products from the Asian nation as well as the country's access to gas liquids among other restrictions.
