Russia says not against North Korea U.N. resolution

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia does not object to a U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea's nuclear test this week, but feels it is too early to talk about possible penalties, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

"We do not have any basis to come out against the new resolution on North Korea in the Security Council of the United Nations," Andrei Nesterenko told a news briefing.

"It is premature to speak about details of the Security Council's decision concerning possible sanctions against North Korea and about their pace," he added.

Western diplomats said on Wednesday world powers including Russia had agreed in principle that North Korea must face sanctions for defying a U.N. resolution by exploding a second nuclear device on May 25.

A draft resolution would not be ready to circulate to the full 15-nation council for comments and an eventual vote until next week at the earliest, the diplomats said.

Nesterenko warned against an arms race in Asia after North Korea's nuclear test.

"We hope that the latest actions by North Korea will not be used by other states as an excuse for the forced build up of their military potential and will not be turned into a new... arms race in the region," he said.

(Reporting by Oleg Shchedrov and Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Philippa Fletcher)