MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Russia considers North Korea's measures to ensure its defense capability and security quite reasonable in the light of the military maneuvers of the United States and South Korea, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"We are closely following the development of the situation. Unfortunately, there is still a tendency to increase tensions in light of the ongoing joint military maneuvers of the United States and South Korea," the diplomat said. "Tensions may escalate again due to the upcoming large-scale annual Freedom Shield drills conducted by South Korea and the US," she emphasized.

According to her, the rattling of weapons does not lead to anything good, especially "when there is definitely a peaceful way to resolve the issue." "Of course, we believe that Pyongyang's measures aimed at strengthening its own defense capabilities, countering external security threats and protecting its sovereignty are fully justified under the conditions of the current escalation," the spokeswoman pointed out.

"The Russian side has repeatedly emphasized that military drills in the region only unleash a dangerous spiral of confrontation, which is fraught with a large-scale conflict on the peninsula, including the use of nuclear weapons," Zakharova said. "We hope that US President Donald Trump's statements to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be translated into practical steps that will make a constructive contribution to strengthening stability and establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region," she stressed.