North Korea has rejected South Korea’s request for talks to organize further reunions for families separated by the Korean War, a statement made by the North Korean Red Cross to its southern counterpart said on Thursday.

The North said that “an appropriate atmosphere has not been created for the proposed talks”, the South Korean Ministry of Unification said.

While Pyongyang did not define what it meant by an “appropriate atmosphere,” experts said that North Korean grievances about ongoing U.S. – South Korea military drills could be at play.

“It’s regrettable, but at the same time it’s not entirely surprising given the