"There should be no room for escalation," he said. "Those who are smarter and stronger should show restraint. Given the current situation, any miscalculation may lead to a political or military outbreak, rather than to a nuclear test like the one recently conducted, which actually reflects the deteriorating situation in Northeast Asia," the senior Russian diplomat stressed.

Ryabkov also said that political and diplomatic means were the only way to resolve the North Korea issue.

"We believe that Pyongyang should stop its provocative actions, which destabilize the situation, but after saying this, I cannot but point out that this protracted crisis can only be resolved through political and diplomatic means," the diplomat emphasized.

Besides, in Ryabkov’s words, during contacts with Washington, Moscow continues to underscore the uselessness of sanctions against Pyongyang. The Russian deputy foreign minister noted that many of those taking part in discussing the North Korea issue were capable of influencing Pyongyang. According to him, it is possible to sway North Korea by laying ot realistic dialogue suggestions, "in this regard, much depends on our US counterparts, who, unfortunately are still more inclined to use the language of sanctions and threats rather than to search for solutions through diplomatic means."