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North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s warnings about a rapprochement between Pyongyang and Moscow, saying the statements “only exacerbate dangerous political and military tensions” on the Korean Peninsula.
During a visit to Seoul this week, Blinken said he was concerned about North Korea’s “increasing and dangerous military cooperation with Russia,” urging Pyongyang’s key ally Beijing to use its influence to prevent dangerous military tests.
On Saturday, Pyongyang condemned Blinken’s statements, describing them as “irresponsible and provocative”. The statements “only serve to escalate dangerous political and military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the region,” the foreign ministry said, according to North Korea’s official news agency.
“The United States must get used to the new reality of relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia,” he added, using North Korea’s official name.
Historical allies Russia and North Korea are both subject to international sanctions, the former for its aggression in Ukraine and the latter for its banned nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Their growing military cooperation worries Ukraine and its allies, especially after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East in September.
According to Seoul, North Korea gave Russia more than a million artillery shells for its war in Ukraine in exchange for technical advice on its satellites.
“Regardless of what others say, friendly and cooperative relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia… will continue to be strengthened,” Pyongyang said on Saturday.
After Blinken’s visit this week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to meet his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Monday, as South Korea and the US intensify their defense cooperation.
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