Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has blamed the United States, South Korea and Japan for increased military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Lavrov, who is visiting the U.S. to attend United Nations sessions, issued the criticism on Wednesday at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

Asked if Russia is concerned about North Korea abandoning the goal of unification with South Korea and heightened tensions on the peninsula, Lavrov responded with perplexity as he said that the relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are actively advancing.

The Russian top diplomat lamented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that there will be no independent Palestinian state and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s declaration there will be no unification with South Korea as “terrible.”

Lavrov continued that this trend of division is seen in many regions around the globe and a country that believes it is the ruler of the world is making a major contribution to this trend, apparently blaming the United States for heightened international tensions.

The minister criticized South Korea, the U.S. and Japan for building a military bloc and staging large-scale joint military exercises with the explicit purpose of preparing for a war against North Korea.

He also said that Seoul’s rhetoric toward Pyongyang has suddenly turned very hostile, with Tokyo also joining.

[Photo : YONHAP News]