Cutting off North Korea's oil supply would be seen as act of war, Russia says

The delivery of oil and oilproducts to North Korea should not be reduced, Moscow'sambassador to Pyongyang was cited as saying by RIA news agencyon Wednesday, adding that a total end to deliveries would beinterpreted by Pyongyang as an act of war.

The UNand United States have introduced a wave ofsanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's development of nuclear weapons, including by seeking to reduce its access to crude oiland refined petroleum products.

"We can't lower deliveries any further," Russia's envoy toPyongyang, Alexander Matzegora, was quoted by RIA as saying inan interview.

Quotas set by the UN allow for around 540,000 tonnes ofcrude oil a year to be delivered to North Korea from China, andover 60,000 tonnes of oil products from Russia, China and othercountries. That's"a drop in the ocean for a country of 25 millionpeople," Matzegora was quoted as saying.

Shortages would lead to serious humanitarian problems, hesaid, adding: "Official representatives of Pyongyang have madeit clear that a blockade would be interpreted by North Korea asa declaration of war, with all the subsequent consequences."

Ratcheting up sanctions

Last week, the United States imposed further sanctions onNorth Korea, including on its crude oil ministry.

In his first annual state of the union speech to the U.S.Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump vowed to keep up thepressure on North Korea to prevent it from developing missiles thatcouldthreaten the United States.

North Korea on Saturday condemned the latest U.S. sanctions,and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Russia had no obligation to carry out sanctions produced bythe U.S.

The ambassador also denied charges by Washington thatMoscow, in contravention of UN sanctions, was allowing Pyongyang to use Russian ports for transporting coal.

"We double checked evidence. We found that the shipsmentioned did not enter our ports, or if they did, then they were carrying cargo that had nothing to do with North Korea," he wasquoted as saying.

Reuters reported earlier that North Korea had shipped coalto Russia last year and it wasthen delivered to South Korea andJapan in a likely violation of UNsanctions.