The recent U.S. claims that North Korea is still pursuing nuclear development programs have deteriorated the situation on the Korean peninsula. This is while Pyongyang has voiced readiness to sign a non-aggression treaty with Washington. But the U.S. is trying to increase pressure on North Korea before any treaty is signed between the two countries by insisting that Pyongyang dismantle all its nuclear programs.

The U.S. deputy secretary of state on Monday announced that oil shipments to North Korea have been halted, stressing that the U.S. Congress would no longer allocate funds in that connection.

While the U.S. has adopted a hard-line approach toward North Korea, Japan, and South Korea advocate finding a diplomatic solution.

While the U.S., South Korea, and Japan defer a decision in their efforts to preempt a second North Korean nuclear crisis in a decade, and the triangular diplomacy has failed to work out a common approach in that connection, Seoul has turned to Moscow.

The South Korean minister of defense on Monday left for Moscow for talks with Russian officials.

He is due to discuss the nuclear program of North Korea, as well as certain security issues of the region in his meetings with Russian officials. It has also been reported that Russia and South Korea will for the first time conclude a bilateral accord on stopping provocative military activities.

Seoul is in fact trying to use Moscow's good offices with Pyongyang to make North Korea moderate its stances. This is particularly important, considering that certain Western media have reported that North Korea has used Russian equipment to update its nuclear facilities. Still, Russia gave an explicit response to these reports when it recently pledged that it would consider international protocols in its cooperation programs with North Korea. However, South Korea wants Russia to sign the accord as a guarantee.

South Korea is in fact trying to encourage Russian to play a more active role in solving recent disputes on the Korean peninsula through calling for the implementation of mutual economic agreements.

Political analysts believe the fact that Russia and South Korea enjoy common interests in the region is an important factor encouraging both parties to forge ahead with stronger cooperation to reduce tensions on the peninsula. This stems from the fact that the economic gains Seoul would receive from building a railway to connect South Korea to Siberia would definitely promote the position of the country in the region. The railway also promises to provide significant economic, political and security benefits to Russia.

In fact, the recent approach that South Korea has adopted toward Russia and the Moscow visit by the country's defense minister could be considered to be in line with the common economic interests of the two states.