IS THE US POKING THE PROVERBIAL NORTH KOREAN BEAR?

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has refused to cut ties with North Korea after their nuclear missile test on Wednesday, claiming that the US is prompting and threatening North Korea, provoking the military to push forward with its nuclear missile program. Russia claims that negotiations are a more effective way to get North Korea under control as opposed to sanctions despite the US warning that a war would wipe out North Korea's government. Lavrov claims that the US–Korean military exercises were being held back until spring to allow tension to diffuse but the US decided to announce that these exercises would be held in December. Lavrov said that it seemed to be a tactic to get Kim Jong Un to "fly off the handle".

The tension has risen after North Korea announced a successful missile launch that put the US in range of this nuclear weapon. Although the missile is able to reach this distance, David Wright at the Union of Concerned Scientists, claims that in order to reach the US, the nuclear warhead would have to be very light and therefore not capable of doing major damage on a national scale.

Lavrov is demanding that the US state exactly what their intentions are by heightening tensions between themselves and North Korea. He pointed out the flaws in the sanctions against North Korea as they do not promote action nor do they renew political processes needed to move forward.

The US is responding to North Koreas missile launch by urging China to cut off all oil supplies to North Korea as Pyongyang heavily relies on their oil supply being provided by China.

The scale is in danger of tipping and the consequences are a concern for everyone.