Putin and Xi urge end to North Korea sanctions, call for diplomatic resolution

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a joint statement on May 8 urging the international community to abandon sanctions and pressure against North Korea, advocating instead for a comprehensive political and diplomatic solution to the Korean Peninsula issue.

The statement followed a 3.5-hour summit at the Kremlin, during which the two leaders signed a document titled “On Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era.”

Joint call for diplomacy and demilitarization

According to Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti, the joint statement emphasized that both nations support a complete resolution of the North Korea issue through political and diplomatic means.

“We strongly urge relevant countries to abandon unilateral coercive measures, military pressure, and policies that provoke confrontation and militarization in Northeast Asia,” the statement read. It also called for concrete actions to reduce tensions and eliminate the risk of armed conflict.

The two leaders stressed that any resolution must be based on mutual respect for sovereignty and a balanced consideration of national interests. They reaffirmed their readiness to play a constructive role in promoting long-term peace and stability in the region.

Broader regional and global cooperation

Beyond the Korean Peninsula, the joint statement pledged efforts to strengthen regional cooperation through the Tumen River initiative, covering areas such as transport, energy, trade, digital economy, agriculture, and tourism.

The leaders also criticized Japan for its stance on the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism, urging Tokyo to act with caution.

In addition to the Korea-focused statement, the summit produced several other agreements. These included a joint declaration on global strategic stability, a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, and a cooperation framework for constructing a moonstation and a lunar power station.

Nuclear tensions and global concerns

In the declaration on strategic stability, Russia and China warned of rising nuclear tensions caused by deteriorating relations among nuclear-armed states. They called on nuclear powers to abandon Cold War-era thinking and resolve disputes through dialogue rather than zero-sum approaches.

During the signing ceremony, Putin praised the summit as highly productive, stating that relations between Moscow and Beijing had reached their “highest level in history.” He noted that the two countries share similar positions on major international issues.

Xi echoed the sentiment, calling the talks in-depth, friendly, and fruitful, and highlighting new and important agreements reached between the two nations.

Informal talks on sensitive issues

Following the official meeting, Putin and Xi continued discussions over lunch and tea, where they reportedly addressed sensitive topics including the war in Ukraine and trade tariffs. According to TASS, the two leaders spent a total of seven and a half hours in both formal and informal talks.

President Xi is currently on a four-day state visit to Russia. On May 9, he is scheduled to attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

BY MOOYOUNG LEE  [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]