Alexander Zhebin, chief of the Korean Affairs Study Center of the Institute of the Far East under the Russian Academy of Sciences, when interviewed by Interfax on March 18, held that the ballistic rocket launches of the DPRK was a measure for countering the U.S.-south Korea joint military drills.

He went on:

The people of the DPRK are showing their will to counter all acts they regard as hostile on the "tit-for-tat" principle.

The DPRK suggests that it would steadily take such measures, calling for an equality-based dialogue with the U.S.

As for the ballistic rocket launches, they will never strain the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Some countries including those which have not yet been recognized as nuclear weapons states are routinely conducting rocket tests but they have never been faulted.

Igori Kortchenko, chief editor of the magazine Bezopasnosty Oborony commented as follows:

The ballistic rocket launches of the DPRK, in every case, serve as countermeasures against the provocative maneuvers of the U.S. and south Korea which are staging large-scale military drills in areas near the boundary with the DPRK.

The military threat being posed by the U.S. and south Korea is making Pyongyang enforce tougher foreign policies and lines.

To ease the tension, the U.S. and its allies should refrain from provoking the DPRK. What is clear is that the principle of co-existence of the north and the south of Korea should be provided and broad-based north-south political dialogue be resumed in order to ease the regional tensions.

Kalashnikov, first vice chairman of the international affairs committee of the State Duma, noted when interviewed by Ria Novosti:

I think the DPRK conducted ballistic rocket launches as it has become certain that the only way out is to bolster its own power while witnessing collapse of state systems in Libya, Syria, Iraq and various other countries.

The present international order including international law was completely ruined. The DPRK's ballistic rocket launches will not threaten its neighboring countries.