North Korea has vehemently rejected a declaration from a recent NATO summit that condemned Pyongyang’s alleged weapons exports to Russia.
The joint declaration, issued on Wednesday by NATO leaders, accused North Korea and Iran of fueling Russia’s military operation against Ukraine by providing direct military support. NATO leaders claimed that the supply of arms and ammunition to Russia has impacted Euro-Atlantic security and undermined the global non-proliferation regime. The declaration also criticized China's alleged support for Russia, expressing "profound concern."
North Korea’s foreign ministry responded sharply, calling the NATO declaration an “illegal” action. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday that the ministry "most strongly denounces and rejects" the declaration, accusing NATO of inciting a new Cold War and global military confrontation. The ministry added that this situation requires "a new force and mode of counteraction."
In a related development, Iran dismissed NATO's allegations that it supplies ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, calling the accusations unfounded.
Meanwhile, US ally South Korea is advocating for stronger cooperation with NATO countries. South Korea’s presidential office announced that Seoul and Washington plan to continue joint military drills and formalize the deployment of US nuclear assets on and around the Korean peninsula.
China, for its part, has urged NATO to avoid "causing chaos" in the Asia-Pacific region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned NATO to adhere to its role as a regional defensive organization and to stop promoting Cold War mentality and bloc confrontations. This warning came ahead of NATO’s summit in the United States, which was attended by leaders from Asia-Pacific countries including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
