Kim Jong Un
© KCNA / Reuters
The leaders of Russia and Germany discussed the upcoming vote at the UN Security Council on new sanctions against North Korea. They agreed that the issue should be resolved peacefully and that Pyongyang should stop its provocations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the North Korean crisis on Monday in a telephone call.

"There was agreement that the conflict about North Korea's nuclear armament must be resolved peacefully," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

He added that Merkel expressed support for tougher UN sanctions against North Korea, according to Reuters.

The Kremlin said that both nations agreed that North Korea was acting provocatively by ignoring the resolutions of the UN Security Council and continuing nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

"Such steps violate the principles of global non-proliferation and pose a serious threat to regional peace and security," the Russian statement said.

The discussion comes hours before the UNSC is expected to vote on a new round of economic sanctions against North Korea, punishing it for the latest nuclear test.

Pyongyang earlier threatened the US, saying it would face "greatest pain and suffering" if the proposed sanctions resolution comes to pass.