"Unfortunately the Iraqi situation is driving the North Koreans to strengthen their defences," Alexander Losyukov said, as quoted by the Interfax news agency.

Asked if he meant that North Korea would seek to acquire nuclear weapons, Losyukov replied that "this is absolutely clear, and the absence of a negotiating process significantly increases this danger."

Russia is trying to organise direct talks between North Korea and the United States over the crisis concerning North Korea's nuclear programme.

Washington has rejected such talks, saying that an agreement must be found jointly by all regional powers.

"The North Koreans have already said that if they feel threatened, they will do whatever is necessary for their protection, including the creation of certain powerful weapons," Losyukov said.

"North Korea clearly sees events in Iraq as a threat. I fear that the present situation in Iraq is pushing them in a direction that will harm the interests of stability and security," he said.

North Korea and Iraq, along with Iran, were branded the "axis of evil" states by US President George W. Bush in his first State of the Union address in January 2002 on suspicion of wanting to develop weapons of mass destruction.

All three states fall within the sphere of influence of Russia.

Critics in Russia and elsewhere have warned that Bush's decision to lead an attack on Iraq, a state known to have no nuclear capability, while Washington spares North Korea, which is currently developing one, could drive some regimes to seek to obtain nuclear weapons while they still can.

"If I was in the Iranian leadership's place, looking at how America is attacking Saddam Hussein, what would I do?" said Sergei Rogov, director of the USA-Canada Institute and an influential analyst, in comments last Friday.

"I'd move ahead with full speed with developing nuclear weapons," he said.

Alexei Arbatov, deputy head of the parliamentary defence committee, warned of a "worst case scenario" in which Iran and North Korea -- fearing to go the way of Iraq -- went nuclear while nuclear-armed Pakistan fell into the hands of Islamic radicals.

Russia has vigourously opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq, with President Vladimir Putin last week warning that it "threatens to rock the very foundations of global stability."

Losyukov, Russia's senior envoy on relations with North Korea, said that Moscow was "maintaining contacts with North Korea, China, Japan and South Korea as well as with the United States" on the standoff in the Korean peninsula.

These however are "a poor substitute for direct dialogue" between Pyongyang and Washington, he told Interfax, warning that "a military conflict could break out if the situation remains as it is now."

"The United States is against any concessions to North Korea, but we believe this is the only way to avert a possible conflict," he said.

North Korea has never admitted to pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, but warned last week that "the use of force against Iraq ... (has) made us understand clearly that we must do everything for our legitimate defence."

Earlier Tuesday it accused Washington of stepping up spy flights over its territory in preparation for an invasion once the war with Iraq ends.

Washington has denied charges that it plans to invade the North and said it is seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

The stand-off erupted in October when Washington said North Korea had admitted to running a secret nuclear program in breach of a 1994 bilateral accord.

Since then Pyongyang has kicked out international weapons inspectors, pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and fired up a reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear plant that is capable of producing weapons grade plutonium.

SPACE.WIRE