North Korea under the leadership of Kim Jong Un has criticized the United States for its increasing military aid to Ukraine and the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula. This has escalated tensions in the region and has been viewed as a show of support for Russia.
What Happened: Top North Korean military officials have expressed their disapproval of the U.S.’s expanding military support to Ukraine and the dispatch of an aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula, Reuters reported on Monday.
The U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday for joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.
North Korea’s vice minister of defense, Kim Kang Il, condemned the U.S.’s actions as “very dangerous” and warned of a potential “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence” by North Korea. This statement was reported by the state media KCNA.
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s visit to Pyongyang, Pak Jong Chon, another high-ranking North Korean military official, suggested that Moscow had the “right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike” if the U.S. continued to push Ukraine into a “proxy war” against Russia. He further warned that this could lead to a “new world war.”
Why It Matters: The recent developments come in the wake of a mutual defense pact between Russia and North Korea. On Wednesday, Russian President Putin signed a defense agreement with Kim Jong-Un during his visit to North Korea. This pact has rekindled tensions reminiscent of the Cold War era.
On Friday, South Korea hinted at a possible shift in its stance on supplying weapons to Ukraine. This reconsideration follows Putin’s statement about potentially supplying high-precision weapons to North Korea.
Moreover, last week, South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the land border. This marked the second such incident in June, highlighting the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Concerns over the deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia were already raised when South Korea and the United States expressed their worries about the potential strengthening of military cooperation between the two nations. They agreed to respond firmly to any provocations or actions that could heighten regional tensions.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
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