MOSCOW, Feb 29: Russia's representative at the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme said on Sunday the impasse could aggravate the situation and ultimately lead to military intervention.

Alexander Losyukov said the second round of talks, which ended in Beijing on Saturday without agreement, had produced no concrete or practical movement towards resolution of the row.

"If this goes on, mistrust will grow on the Korean peninsula. The situation could be aggravated and military intervention is possible," he was quoted by Russia's Itar-Tass news agency on his return to Moscow.

The talks' host, China, has said there was strong mistrust between the United States and North Korea. Losyukov said political interests made an agreement unlikely before the US presidential election in November, giving little hope to a third round of talks, likely to be held mid-year.

Losyukov also said the jury was still out of the question whether North Korea actually had any nuclear programmes. "Nobody knows, the question remains unclarified," Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. -Reuters