Kyiv calls on Pyongyang to stop 'rocket' provocations

Ukraine strongly condemns the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by North Korea and believes that UN Security Council sanctions should be expanded and strengthened if provocations continue, according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

"Ukraine resolutely condemns the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by the DPRK. This time it posed a serious threat to Japan. The launch represents yet another serious challenge to all nations in the region and to regional stability, as it brazenly defies diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the security challenges on the Korean Peninsula," reads the statement.

The ministry said that continued missile launches by Pyongyang were a deliberate and systematic attack on international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions concerning the North Korean missile program. 

"Ukraine aligns itself with all states that have condemned this dangerous act of Pyongyang and calls upon the DPRK leadership to stop their provocations immediately and restart dialog with the international community. Otherwise, the UN Security Council sanctions should be expanded and strengthened," reads the statement.

op