Russia warns of risk of 'point of no return' on North Korea, urges restraint

Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova gestures as she attends a news briefing in Moscow, Russia, October 6, 2015. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Files

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday called on the world to show restraint when it came to North Korea, saying it was vital to avoid doing anything that would result in reaching the "point of no return." Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, issued the appeal at a news briefing in Moscow. "Any attempt to resolve the problem over the Korean Peninsula by force will lead to a massive tragedy and enormous loss of life," said Zakharova. North Korea had said it was considering plans to fire missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, but North Korean media on Tuesday said leader Kim Jong Un had delayed the decision while waiting for the next U.S. move. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Andrew Osborn)