North Korea slams US comments on ties with Russia, says Washington 'should get used to new reality'

On November 11, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the country's Foreign Ministry as condemning US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments on the North Korea-Russia relationship, saying that this only increases political and military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Tổng thống Vladimir Putin (trái) và nhà lãnh đạo Triều Tiên Kim Jong-un thăm Sân bay vũ trụ Vostochny của Nga hôm 13/9 (Ảnh: AFP).

President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visit Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome, September 13 (Source: AFP).

“The United States should get used to the new reality in the DPRK-Russia relationship. No matter what others may say, the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia will become stronger and stronger,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said.

On November 9, the US Secretary of State said he shared South Korea's concerns about growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which he called a "two-way street" involving arms supplies and technical assistance.

Antony Blinken warned that military ties between North Korea and Russia are "growing and dangerous" and called on Beijing to rein in Pyongyang.

"We see North Korea providing military equipment to Russia to pursue the conflict in Ukraine, but we also see Russia providing technology and support to North Korea in its own military programs," the US Secretary of State said at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart.

In addition, North Korean weapons are also said to be being used in the Gaza Strip. North Korea has denied reports by some military experts that its weapons are being used by Hamas, calling the accusation a US plot to mislead public opinion.

Speaking about Russia-North Korea relations, in a statement on October 28, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that the Pyongyang-Moscow relationship would serve as a "strong strategic" factor if regional security was threatened.

"If they want to prove that such cooperation between North Korea and Russia poses a 'threat' to international peace and security, they should first make clear why their trilateral military alliance is not considered a threat to regional peace and security," Choe said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

North Korea's top diplomat also said, "If there is no malice toward North Korea and Russia, they will have no reason to be tense and feel uneasy about the development of equal and normal relations between the two countries."

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