Putin suggests North Korea will not give up nuclear weapons

‘Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that North Korea will not abandon its nuclear weapons program because Pyongyang views its missiles and atomic weapons as its only means of self-defense.
“They (the North Koreans) view the possession of atomic weapons and missile technology as their only means of protection. Do you think they’ll give it up now?” the Russian president said during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday.
“It’s impossible to scare them,” he added.
The Russian president said North Korea was being provocative by advancing its missile and military nuclear programs but said any escalation of the dispute with Pyongyang would be “counter-productive.”
“The build-up of some military atmosphere, of hysteria, is counter-productive, in my opinion. It will lead to nothing, because what is happening now, of course, is a provocation from North Korea. This is quite obvious. They are provoking the situation, but if they are doing it, they are not stupid people, believe me. So, they expect the corresponding reaction from [their] partners, and they achieve it,” Putin said.’
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