North Korea accused the United States of fueling tensions in the Taiwan Strait through its arms sales and military support for Taiwan. At the same time, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to continue supporting Russia and its military efforts.
The commentary on Taiwan was published by the state-run KCNA news agency, which quoted international analyst Kim Myung-chol. According to him, the US policy towards Taiwan undermines peace and stability in the region.
“The US should think carefully about whether it is ready to enter into a direct confrontation over Taiwan's security with the powerful national power of the People's Republic of China and whether it can deal with the consequences of this“, said Kim Myong-chol.Pyongyang specifically condemned the sale of US fighter jets to Taiwan. A week earlier, the first two of a total of 66 new F-16B Block 70 aircraft ordered in 2019 arrived on the island. The delivery comes amid ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China, which considers the self-governing island part of its territory.
Kim reaffirms support for Moscow
In a separate message to mark Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday, Kim Jong-un said North Korea would continue to expand cooperation with Russia within the framework of the "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two countries.
The North Korean leader described Russia's "holy war of justice" as a struggle to protect Russia's sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity. He expressed confidence that it would end in victory.
The message did not explicitly mention Russia's war in Ukraine. According to estimates from Ukraine and South Korea, cited in the article, in 2024 North Korea sent between 14,000 and 15,000 soldiers to support the Russian military campaign.
Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow deepened after the signing of a mutual defense treaty by Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin in June 2024. The new statements confirm both North Korea's opposition to American policy in East Asia and its close ties with Russia.
Sources: bta.bg, internazionale.it