Several countries, led by Japan and the United States, have called for tough UN sanctions against the impoverished communist state, following its controversial nuclear tests on Monday.
Yury Brazhnikov, the head of the ministry's international department, said a ship with 12,800 tons of Russian grain arrived in North Korea on Wednesday. "We should ignore the political background [around North Korea]. These are targeted food supplies to those who really need help," he said.
Russia's annual contribution to UN World Food Program is $11 million.
Tensions have been escalating in the Far East since North Korea announced it had detonated a nuclear device: South Korea's military is reportedly making preparations for nuclear conflict, while the North has condemned the hostile stance of the U.S., and warned that it would consider internationally-imposed tighter sanctions to be an act of war. The secretive regime has also threatened to carry out another nuclear test.
