Moscow noted the worsening of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Washington and Seoul's military maneuvers near the border with the North are provocative; The situation on the Korean peninsula continues to worsen, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "Unfortunately, the situation on the Korean Peninsula not only shows no signs of stabilization, but on the contrary, continues to worsen," she noted. "What is of particular concern is that the current appeal is taking place against the background of ongoing large-scale military maneuvers by the United States and the Republic of Korea near the border with North Korea, which are openly provocative in nature, the purpose of which, as the participants themselves admit, is to practice preemptive strikes against North Korea, including the use of nuclear weapons." "We call on Seoul, instead of looking for unfounded pretexts to accuse the DPRK and declarative calls for peace to immediately stop dangerous military games and provocations, especially in the demilitarized zone, to respect Pyongyang's sovereign right to ensure its security by all available means," Zakharova said in commenting on a media question about the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.