Lavrov: US-South Korea Drills May Escalate Tensions on Korean Peninsula

BEIJING (Sputnik) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, said that the situation on the Korean peninsula could worsen if South Korea and the United States conduct joint military exercises, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

"Sergey Lavrov said that if the United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises, the situation on the Korean Peninsula may deteriorate again," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Lavrov told Wang that Moscow was ready to strengthen coordination with Beijing in settling the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding that a military solution was unacceptable.

The ministry quoted Wang Yi as telling Lavrov that the United States and North Korea should stop provocations to prevent a crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Wang also called for de-escalation of tensions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement reading that the politicians had warned against the "military adventurism and threats to use force, no matter where they come from."

The incidence of saber-rattling and belligerent rhetorical exchanges has escalated significantly in recent weeks between the North Korea and the US, Japan and South Korea. North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is reportedly contemplating whether to strike the US territory of Guam, which the US-led coalition has sworn to defend.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has become aggravated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.