Vladimir Putin is trolling Donald Trump over North Korea, insisting talking IS the way forward

Vladimir Putin has warned that North Asia is “on the brink of a large-scale conflict” and – in an apparent rebuke to Donald Trump – suggested that dialogue is the only way forward.

In an article sent to the media, President Putin said: “Russia believes that the policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear missile programme is misguided and futile.

“The region’s problems should only be settled through a direct dialogue of all the parties concerned without any preconditions. Provocations, pressure and militarist and insulting rhetoric are a dead-end road.”

The article, which warned that the Korean Peninsula is “balancing on the brink of a large-scale conflict”, was sent to media in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – the BRICS member states – ahead of a summit of BRICS economies in China.

The Russian premier’s comments are a stark contrast to those of his US counterpart who earlier in the week tweeted: “The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!”

It is the latest in a series of strongly-worded threats from Donald Trump, who warned that North Korea would be met with “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if they continuing to threaten the US.

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The warning prompted a threat from North Korea to launch a missile strike on the US Pacific territory of Guam.

And earlier this week Pyongyang fire a ballistic missile over Japan, apparently in response to ongoing war exercises between the US and South Korea.

(Top picture: Reuters)