Moscow Ready to Act as Mediator between US, North Korea

"Russia is ready if both sides need it and want it," Peskov stressed, Tass reported.

"It is impossible to become a mediator between two parties only if one side seeks so, the will of two sides is needed here. As the exchange of confrontational rhetoric is between Pyongyang and Washington, therefore Russia’s readiness is rather evident to open the way for de-escalating tensions," he added.

The UN Security Council unanimously imposed a new round of sanctions on North Korea on Friday, following its latest ballistic missile test launch in late November. Pyongyang is already under an extremely harsh economic sanctions regime, but the latest round further slashed its refined petroleum product imports and banned all remaining major exports. The measure also demanded the repatriation of all North Koreans working abroad within 24 months.

North Korea has been under a raft of crippling United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear tests as well as multiple rocket and missile launches.

Pyongyang has fired a ballistic missile which splashed down in the Sea of Japan. North Korean leader personally oversaw the launch of the ICBM, which Pyongyang claims is a Hwasong-15, tipped with super-large heavy warhead and capable of hitting the whole mainland of the US.

Tensions have been building on the peninsula following a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang as well as threats of war and personal insults traded between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump and Kim have exchanged a series of personal insults, with Trump calling Kim a "little rocket man" and Pyongyang calling the US president a "mentally deranged dotard" and "old lunatic".

In 2017, North Korea carried out 20 ballistic missile launches, while the United States and its allies, for their part, are constantly conducting far-reaching sea drills in the region. The parties are exchanging tough rhetoric and admit that any scenario - including military action - is possible.

Pyongyang has firmly defended its military program as a deterrent against the hostile policies of the US and its regional allies, including South Korea and Japan.

US President has vowed to impose additional "major sanctions" against North Korea, while Washington has thousands of troops in the region, partially in South Korea and Japan, and routinely threatens the North with military action to stop its weapons program.a