Russia’s Putin warns North Korea situation has ‘seriously deteriorated’ - BBG

After the Kremlin meeting with the Japanese PM Abe late-Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program is deepening, Bloomberg reports.

Putin and Abe are also trying to settle the dispute over the sovereignty of islands known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the South Kurils in Russia.

Key Quotes:

The situation on the Korean peninsula has “seriously deteriorated.” 

“We call on all states involved in the region’s affairs to refrain from military rhetoric and seek peaceful, constructive dialogue.”