Rome, December 2 (RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described threats to destroy North Korea by the United States as "a bloodthirsty tirade."  Lavrov referred to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out between the two countries.

Speaking during a visit to Rome on Friday, Lavrov strongly criticized the U.S. diplomat’s comment, emphasizing that war and violence were not the correct way to solve the problem.  "If someone really wants to use force to, as the U.S. representative to the United Nations put it, destroy North Korea... then I think that is playing with fire and a big mistake," said Lavrov.

The Russian diplomat described Haley's reaction to the international crisis regarding North Korea, which she made at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, as "a really bloodthirsty tirade."  The top Russian diplomat said: "We will do everything to ensure that (the use of force) doesn't happen so that the problem is decided only using peaceful and political-diplomatic means."

U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials have on numerous occasions threatened to use violent means against North Korea.  Pyongyang is already under all sorts of politico-economic pressure by the international community to stop its nuclear and missile programs.  It has, however, resisted the mounting pressure, voicing its concern about Washington’s aggressive stance toward the country.