MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Moscow has no doubts that Washington keeps building up the Asia-Pacific segment of the missile defense, thus causing an imbalance, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has told a news briefing on Thursday.
"It has to be stated with regret that the outlook for normalization in the Korean Peninsula is nowhere near and the blame for this can hardly be placed entirely on one side," Zakharova said. "We believe that this state of affairs stems from the lack of trust and from the conflicting parties’ tendency to use power arguments."
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"The show of military muscle, employed instead of attempts to find a key to the solution of the existing problems at the negotiating table, by no means adds to stability," Zakharova said, adding that Moscow’s stance on the issue of North Korean missile launches relied on the need for the observance of UN Security Council resolutions."
The situation in the Korean Peninsula turned for the worse in the wake of the US and South Korea’s decision to deploy the US missile defense system.
"We proceed from the assumption that these complexes in the Republic of Korea surely go beyond the bounds of the tasks of deterring a so-called North Korean threat," Zakharova said. "We feel no doubts about the fact that the United States, with support from its allies, keeps building up the potential of the Asia-Pacific segment of the global missile defense. This will inevitably upset the existing strategic balance and cause further complications in the situation in the Korean Peninsula and in the region in general."
The just-started large-scale US-South Korean exercise causes Russia’s serious concern, she stated.
"We have the fear that against the background of soaring tensions in the Korean peninsula such drills are capable of becoming a spark that cause the whole situation develop into a real fire," Zakharova said.
"Russia is prepared for the tightest interaction with all countries concerned with the aim of ensuring peace and stability in the region, achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear problem on the basis of equitable and non-discriminatory talks with the participation of all parties concerned," Zakharova said. "In this no simple situation all parties concerned should display restraint and refrain from action that might bring about greater tensions."