Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the ramping up of "military hysteria" in wake of North Korea's weapons programme risks developing into a "global catastrophe" with mass casualties.
The Russian leader said it while speaking at meeting of the Brics group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in Xiamen, China, according to reports on agencies.
The US, on Monday, said it would table a new UN resolution on tougher sanctions in the wake of the latest test of a nuclear bomb by the North on Sunday.
Condemning the North's test as "provocative", Putin said: "Sanctions of any kind would now be useless and ineffective.
"They'd rather eat grass than abandon their [nuclear weapons] programme unless they feel secure. And what can establish security? The restoration of international law. We should promote dialogue among all interested parties."
Citing a "humanitarian aspect", the Russian president said millions of people would suffer under tougher measures, adding: "Sanctions have been exhausted."
China, the North's main ally, has also called for a return to negotiations.
On Monday, at the United Nations in New York, US envoy Nikki Haley argued that only the strongest sanctions would enable the problem to be resolved through diplomacy.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed that stance on Tuesday, saying more sanctions were urgently needed to counter the North's "flagrant breach of international conventions".
