Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that the tense standoff between North Korea and the United States was on the verge of large-scale conflict, and said it was a mistake to try to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear missile program.

Putin, due to attend a summit of the BRICS nations in China next week, said the only way to de-escalate tensions was via talks, and Sergei Lavrov, his foreign minister, said Washington not Pyongyang should take the initiative on that.

"It is essential to resolve the region's problems through direct dialogue involving all sides without advancing any preconditions [for such talks]," Putin wrote on the Kremlin's website.

"Provocations, pressure, and bellicose and offensive rhetoric is the road to nowhere."

The situation on the Korean Peninsula had deteriorated so much that it was now "balanced on the verge of a large-scale conflict," said the Russian leader.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States, and recently threatened to land missiles near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

Republic of Korea air force F-15s shown during a 10-hour mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, into Japanese airspace and over the Korean Peninsula on July 30, during a joint U.S.-South Korea exercise. (Tech. Sgt. Kamaile Casillas/Pacific Air Forces/DVIDS via Reuters)

On Monday, Pyongyang, which sees joint war games between the United States and South Korea as preparations for invasion, raised the stakes in its standoff with the United States and its allies by firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

"In Russia's opinion, the calculation that it is possible to halt North Korea's nuclear missile programs exclusively by putting pressure on Pyongyang is erroneous and futile," Putin wrote.

A road map formulated by Moscow and Beijing, which would involve North Korea stopping work on its missile program in exchange for the United States and South Korea halting large-scale war games, was a way to gradually reduce tensions, wrote Putin.

Lavrov, addressing students in Moscow, said he felt events were building towards a war which he said would cause large numbers of casualties in Japan and South Korea if it happened.

"If we want to avoid a war the first step must be taken by the side that is the more intelligent and stronger," said Lavrov, making clear he was referring to the United States.

He said Russia was working behind the scenes and that Moscow knew that Washington had a back channel to Pyongyang which he said he hoped would allow the two sides to de-escalate.