Russia's Lavrov on why the US won't attack North Korea

Lavrov says the US knows North Korea has nuclear weapons

Russian foreign minister Lavrov at the United Nations on Friday called the war of words between the US and North Korea as a "kindergarden fight between children" and said a softer approach was needed.

In an interview with Russia's NTV television on Sunday he said the US won't attack North Korea.

"The Americans won't carry out a strike on (North) Korea because it's not that they suspect, they know for sure that it has nuclear bombs," Lavrov said.

"I'm not defending North Korea, I'm just saying that almost everyone agrees with such an analysis."

He called for a change in US tactics.

"We could drop into a very unpredictable nosedive and tens if not hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens of South Korea but also North Korea, of course, and Japan will suffer -- and Russia and China are nearby," Lavrov said.