MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. The fact that the United States has once again put North Korea on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism in no way promotes settlement of the Korean Peninsula problems, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"The answer to the question whether such actions can help ease tensions is obvious - in no way," she said. "There are possibilities for diplomatic talks in bilateral and multilateral formats. The United States and other countries have possibilities to do their best not to let the situation reach a threshold a number of politicians are seeking to push it to."

"Those who are responsible for decision-making in the United States were probably driven by their own motives, because, as is known, such actions in the United States entail some subsequent steps, actions, etc.," she said. "I find it difficult to comment. I think it is better ask our American colleagues why they did it."

"In terms of the meaning of this step not for domestic but for external use, it look more like yet another act of intimidation, a kind of another PR move. Now diplomatic work is needed. It is necessary to take diplomatic effort to settle the situation and, naturally, to bring down tensions," she stressed.