LONDON / PARIS / ANKARA/ BRUSSELS/ OTTOWA
The United Kingdom and France Sunday strongly condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test and called on the international community to take tougher and quicker actions.
There is “no easy military solution” to prevent nuclear aggression by North Korea, Britain’s foreign secretary said Sunday.
Boris Johnson, added, however, that “all options” are still on the table for retaliation.
“It’s certainly our view that none of the military options are good,” Johnson told Sky News after North Korea announced it had tested a hydrogen bomb which could be loaded on intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“It is of course right to say that all options are on the table, but we really don’t see an easy military solution,” Johnson said.
Stressing the short distance between the North and Seoul, he warned that in a conflict, North Korea “could basically vaporize” large parts of the South, even with conventional weapons.
So a military option is “not really very easy to threaten and to deliver,” he added.
“Much more productive, we think, is to continue with the international diplomatic effort,” he said, stressing the need for a further diplomatic push.
'New order of threat'
Johnson, much like various other leaders, reacted against the latest nuclear test by the southeast Asian country.
He said: “There is no question that this is another provocation. It is reckless. What they are doing is they seem to be moving closer towards a hydrogen bomb, which, if fitted to a successful missile, would unquestionably present a new order of threat.
“We have to consider how to respond and it’s our view in the U.K., overwhelmingly, that peaceful diplomatic means are the best,” he added.
North Korea claimed to have detonated a new hydrogen bomb Sunday, confirming suspicions of the reclusive state's sixth-ever nuclear test after outside monitors noted a large artificial earthquake.
Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency later announced that its "perfect" test involved a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on a North Korean ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile).
May: Serious and grave
British Prime Minister Theresa May also reacted to the test, describing the nuclear threat by North Korea as "serious and grave."
“This latest action by North Korea is reckless and poses an unacceptable further threat to the international community,” she said.
She reiterated the call “for tougher action, including increasing the pace of implementation of existing sanctions and looking urgently in the UN Security Council at new measures."
"This is now even more pressing," May said.
"The international community has universally condemned this test and must come together to continue to increase the pressure on North Korea's leaders to stop their actions," she added.
‘React quickly’
French President Emmanuel Macron also urged a "very firm" global response to the test.
“The international community needs to deal with this latest provocation with the greatest so that North Korea will restart dialogue without conditions and proceed with the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs,” Macron’s office said in a statement.
He called on UN Security Council members to "react quickly" to this new "violation of international law".
A growing threat to global peace and security
Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano also expressed his country's “most firm and unequivocal condemnation” for the nuclear test to protest North Korea’s “another clear violation of a number of United Nations Security Council Resolutions.”
In a statement from his office, Alfano voiced Italy’s solidarity to the countries in the region over the consequences of Pyongyang’s “irresponsible behavior.”
“North Korea’s advancement of its nuclear and missile represents a serious and growing threat to the global non-proliferation regime, as well as to international peace and security,” said the minister.
He noted that North Korea was “the only country to have violated the international moratorium on nuclear testing in the 21st Century”.
“The sixth nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang once again casts light on the need to promptly enforce the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,” Alfano stated.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must immediately stop developing its nuclear and missile and refrain from increasing its self-isolation and challenging the international community. Italy will continue to do its share in pursuing a firm and cohesive response to this challenge,” he added.
‘EU to sharpen sanctions’
Donald Tusk, president of the EU Commission also voiced his concerns, emphasizing that the test “gravely violates DPRK's obligations under international law, repeated demands from the UN Security Council and the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime.
In a written statement, Tusk said that it “compels the international community to unite in swift and decisive reaction”.
“The EU stands ready to sharpen its policy of sanctions and invites North Korea to restart dialogue on its without condition.
“We call on the UN Security Council to adopt further UN sanctions and show stronger resolve to achieve a peaceful of the Korean peninsula”.
Canada’s Trudeau calls for UN security council to step in
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau condemned the test representing a ‘clear threat to the international community.
“These continued provocations by North Korea’s leadership, along with their profoundly dangerous push to develop nuclear weapons and test ballistic missiles near countries, only serve to further isolate them.
“Canada has been steadfast in insisting that North Korea abandon its current course, including its aggressive rhetoric, and asks that it resumes constructive dialogue toward a comprehensive and verifiable solution.
“We urge the UN Security Council to take further decisive action to effectively constrain North Korea’s proliferation efforts, and call on all states to fully implement relevant UN sanctions.
“We will continue to work with key regional partners – including the United States, South and Japan – as well as the broader international community, to counter the North Korean threat.”
