Putin calls North Korea sanctions useless

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said pursuing further sanctions against North Korea is "useless", saying "they'd rather eat grass than give up their nuclear programme".

Mr Putin also said that the ramping up of "military hysteria" could lead to global catastrophe. He said diplomacy was the only answer.

Although he condemned the North's test as "provocative", Mr Putin said: "Sanctions of any kind would now be useless and ineffective.

Citing a "humanitarian aspect", Mr Putin said millions of people would suffer under tougher measures, adding: "Sanctions have been exhausted."

Meanwhile, North Korea's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Han Tae-song, said his country's recent "self-defence measures" were a "gift package addressed to the US". "The US will receive more gift packages from my country as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

UCJ, UNILORIN.