The leaders of China and Russia have urged the international community to call off sanctions against North Korea and stop applying military pressure.

According to Russia’s Ria Novosti and TASS news agencies, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin made the appeal in a joint statement after their summit talks in Moscow on Thursday.

The joint statement said China and Russia urge the respective states to abandon the sanctions and forceful pressure on North Korea.

It added that the two nations advocate for the resolution of problems on the Korean Peninsula exclusively through political and diplomatic means.

As for Russia’s war against Ukraine, China and Russia said they support all efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine, but added that it is necessary to address root causes to achieve a long-term resolution to the conflict.