MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. It is in South Korea’s interest to avoid attempting to disrupt the existing status quo on the peninsula and return to the path of restoring positive relations with North Korea, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing.

According to her, Seoul is frequently resorting to provocations against Pyongyang. "The same pattern is repeated regularly: there is a provocation against North Korea with the blame shifted or pinned on Pyongyang later. And all of this is exactly the opposite: the situation is being destabilized by South Korea because the US desires this," she said, also mentioning Seoul’s recent sanctions against Russian and North Korean entities and individuals.

"Why is this being done? The answer is also clear: to spread a fake news item for the South Korean population that the threat is emanating from the northern part of the peninsula and Russia. History shows that no one has ever managed to end such initiatives well, as exemplified by the Ukrainian crisis.

So it is in the interest of the South Korean side to refrain from attempts to disrupt the existing status quo on the peninsula, revert to the track of restoring mutually beneficial relations and constructive interaction with its closest neighbors without exacerbating the already tense situation in the region," Zakharova concluded.