[JUST IN] VLADMIR PUTIN indirectly made a thinly veiled dig at trump, "USA request is a silly one".

VLADIMIR Putin has made a thinly veiled dig at Donald Trump, saying the US asking for Russia’s help to control North Korea was a silly request that could only be made by people who “mix up Australia with Austria.” The Russian President said imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear missile program would be counter-productive and spoke out against “military hysteria” after the United States called for the “strongest possible measures” to rein in the rogue state.

“Russia condemns North Korea’s exercises, we consider that they are a provocation,” he said, but added: “Whipping up military hysteria makes absolutely no sense in this situation ... This is a road to nowhere. “All of this can lead to a global planetary catastrophe and a great number of victims.”

Mr Putin refused to directly criticise Mr Trump, but said it was preposterous for Washington to ask for Moscow’s help after sanctioning Russian companies accused of violating North Korea sanctions. “It’s ridiculous to put us on the same (sanctions) list as North Korea and then ask for our help in imposing sanctions on North Korea,” said Mr Putin. “This is being done by people who mix up Australia with Austria.”

Mr Putin called for dialogue on the crisis and warned against measures that could escalate the situation. “Resorting to just any sanctions in this situation is useless and inefficient,” he said. He said it was important that all parties including North Korea do not face “threats of annihilation” but “step on the path of cooperation.”

Mr Putin’s comments were made to reporters in the Chinese city of Xiamen after the annual BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit of five emerging economies. They came after North Korea detonated what it said was a hydrogen bomb on Sunday and announced it could mount the warhead on a missile, dramatically raising the stakes in Pyongyang’s standoff with the international community over its banned weapons programs. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the US President spoke about the provocation late on Monday and both “condemned North Korea’s continued reckless and dangerous behaviour”, reaffirming the importance of close coordination at the United Nations.

Ms Merkel called North Korea’s latest nuclear test a “flagrant violation” of international conventions, but said there can only be a “diplomatic and peaceful solution” of the crisis. She told the German parliament on Tuesday that North Korea’s distance from Germany should not keep the country from helping to end the crisis. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told politicians it was time to increase pressure on North Korea and eliminate loopholes that allow some countries to continue trading with Pyongyang. Malcolm Turnbull is due to speak to Mr Trump on Wednesday at 7.45am AEST and Defence Minister Marise Payne is heading to South Korea to help resolve the impasse.

The international community has become increasingly concerned after Sunday’s tests, with North Korea on Monday spotted moving what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile towards its west coast, according to reports. An unidentified intelligence source revealed the move to South Korea’s Asia Business Daily a day after the North’s sixth and biggest nuclear test, as the South ramped up its military tests in response. North Korea is reportedly moving an intercontinental ballistic missile into place, after South Korea yesterday responded to the North’s nuclear test with live-fire exercises off its eastern coast. North Korea is reportedly moving an intercontinental ballistic missile into place, after South Korea yesterday responded to the North’s nuclear test with live-fire exercises off its eastern coast.

The rocket was spotted moving under cover of darkness to avoid surveillance, the report said. North Korea has launch facilities for its missile program on its west coast. The destination could be Sohae Satellite Launching Station, a major intercontinental ballistic missile development and testing site around 200 kilometres northwest of Pyongyang, or a missile silo in mountainous Geumchang-ri, North Pyongan province.

But Brendan Thomas-Noone from the US Studies Centre said North Korea now has technology that allows it to launch missiles from road mobile launchers, on any flat surface. It could also fire a rocket over its own land, meaning the missile could head in any direction. South Korea’s Hyunmoo II ballistic missile is fired on Monday in a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site to ‘strongly warn’ Pyongyang over Sunday’s nuclear test. 

South Korea’s Hyunmoo II ballistic missile is fired on Monday in a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site to ‘strongly warn’ Pyongyang over Sunday’s nuclear test.

Mr Thomas-Noone told news.com.au Kim Jong-un could be purposely moving the rocket to demonstrate that the United States and South Korea will struggle to track and destroy its weapons. “It came from one of the missile factories on the west coast known to produce ICBMs,” he said. “The last couple of tests have shown they can launch from multiple locations.

“They are obviously saying they’re working to keep pushing the envelope until they are confident they can strike the US with an ICBM.” North Korea has already shown its ICBMs could threaten the US mainland by testing two in July that were capable of flying 10,000 kilometres.