Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday voiced opposition to tougher sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test.
"Resorting to just any sanctions in this situation is useless and inefficient," Putin told reporters after attending a summit of BRICS countries in this coastal Chinese city.
"All of this can lead to a global planetary catastrophe and a great number of victims," he warned.
The Russian president called on relevant parties to return to the negotiation table.
"It is necessary to push the issue to a dialogue between all interested parties. All participants in this process, including North Korea (the DPRK), should not have any of these considerations that are associated with the threat of destruction, but, on the contrary, all parties to the conflict should get on the path of cooperation," Putin said.
The DPRK launched its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, which has been widely condemned by the international community, including Moscow.
Members of the Security Council on Monday remained divided over possible new sanctions against the DPRK. In an emergency meeting, the United States, France, Britain and Japan wanted Pyongyang to pay a higher price, while countries like Russia advised diplomacy.
