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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the resumption of U.S.-South Korean military drills escalated the Korean peninsula's situation.
On Monday, South Korea's Defense Ministry launched a joint military maneuver with the U.S. that will run through Sept. 1 and includes 13 on-the-ground maneuver programs.
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The Russian spokeswoman said Moscow considers these military maneuvers "causing grave concern in Pyongyang, counterproductive and dangerous."
"As a state bordering the Korean Peninsula, Russia is interested in maintaining and strengthening lasting peace and stability in the area, and is in favor of promoting dialogue and normalizing relations between the two Korean states without any interference from outside forces," Zakharova said.
As for the subregion's issues, the Russian diplomat called for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution. In this context, Zakharova mentioned Russian-Chinese initiatives to resolve the situation on the peninsula.
Maria Zakharova: "We are concerned about the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has recently escalated in connection with the resumption of large-scale joint military drills conducted by the US and the Republic of Korea."
— Lexi (@missylexilou) August 24, 2022
To ensure the legal interests of all involved, "we call for the initiation of a substantive political dialogue on the basis of these documents to build a system of peace and security in the subregion," the Russian spokeswoman said.
Last July, the Republic of Korea and the U.S. conducted exercises with F-35A fighters for "reconnaissance" and stealth attack missions. For this time, the sides have planned 13 field maneuver programs.
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