Kremlin dismisses US allegations of aiding North Korea in bypassing sanctions

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday dismissed US allegations of Russia and China aiding North Korea in bypassing sanctions as "baseless."

"All such statements are absolutely baseless ... Each new such statement further devalues all others," Peskov told a news briefing in Moscow.

He said Washington will continue its sanctions pressure on Moscow, which will adopt to new conditions.

Turning to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's decision to skip the Nov. 23 meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Minsk, the official said: "Each head of government or state have their own work schedule, circumstances. But we can only express regret because such meetings are a very good opportunity to exchange views."

Responding to Moldovan President Maya Sandu's remarks, who said her administration refuses further dialogue with Moscow, Peskov pointed to results of the recently held local elections, indicating the Moldovan people's preference for developing relations with Russia.

"At a minimum, Ms. Sandu does not take into account the results of the municipal elections that have just taken place. And where it wasn't her party that won. There are many supporters of the development of cooperation with our country in Moldova ... The results of the last municipal elections very clearly demonstrated this," he said.

Sandu’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity failed to win mayoral seats in major cities.