What’s behind North Korea’s criticism of US support for Ukraine?

[ad_1]

A soldier walks past a line of M1 Abrams tanks, Nov. 29, 2016, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In what would be a reversal, the Biden administration is set to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, US officials have said. Tuesday, as international reluctance to send tanks to the front against the Russians begins to erode. The decision could be announced as early as Wednesday, although delivery of the tanks could take months or years. (File photo – The Gazette via AP)

North Korea on Sunday denounced the US decision to again supply advanced battle tanks to Ukraine, while rejecting Washington’s announcement on North Korea’s arms supply to Russia, in which it has been called a serious provocation that must be responded to with tit-for-tat actions.

Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the US Department of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, condemned US plans to supply offensive armed weapons such as main battle tanks to Ukraine at all costs while ignoring the legitimate concerns and criticisms of the international community in a Press Release in Korean.

Kwon called the US arms supply to Ukraine a crime against humanity aimed at keeping the international situation unstable.

Kwon also sent another clear warning that he can never tolerate the groundless rumor of arms deals between North Korea and Russia, dismissing the previous US announcement of North Korea’s delivery. rockets and infantry missiles in Russia.

The attempt to tarnish our image by inventing things that don’t even exist is a serious provocation that can never be acceptable and must be responded to, Kwon said.

The United States must bear in mind that it will face truly undesirable results if it continues to spread self-made and baseless rumors targeting us.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the essence of the statement was to convey messages to the United States while defining alleged arms deals between North Korea and Russia as a serious provocation against North Korea.

The statement expresses North Korea’s determination to take direct tit-for-tat action if the United States continues to damage the country’s image.

Kwons’ statement came less than two days after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, strongly condemned the US supply of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in a press release. published late Friday evening.

Kim accused the United States of expanding the proxy war to destroy Russia, saying the arms provisions showed “the sinister intent of the United States to achieve its hegemonic goals.” But Kim remained silent on the US accusation of North Korea supplying arms to Russia.

Jung Dae-jin, a professor at Halla University in Wonju, Gangwon Province, pointed out that Kwons’ statement showed a two-pronged approach by North Korea of ​​reiterating its intention to coordinate with Russia, as stated in Kim Yo-jongs statement, but denying the alleged direct arms supply to Russia.

North Korea views the arms supply as a military action that could weigh heavily on North Korea’s foreign policy, unlike the diplomatic act of expressing solidarity with Russia, Jung told the Korea Herald. . Therefore, it is not North Korea’s intention to become unnecessarily embroiled in such controversies, whether or not it has provided weapons.

Yang explained that Kwon’s statement seeks to reverse the trend in public opinion that the absence of remarks on North Korea’s arms deals with Russia in Kim Yo-jong’s statement is recognition. of North Korea.

But Yang said Kwon generally reaffirmed Kim’s press statement, which essentially emphasized Russia’s close ties with North Korea and North Korea’s determination to coordinate with Russia.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said declassified satellite images displayed at a White House press briefing confirm US claims that North Korea delivered arms to Russia to use them in its ongoing war in Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, in Washington. (Picture – AP)

In the statement, Kim Yo-jong also stressed that North Korea will always stand in the same trench with the Russian military and the people who are fighting to uphold the country’s dignity, honor, sovereignty and security. .

Experts said the rare statement from Kim – who was tasked with sending messages to South Korea and the United States as the North Korean leader’s spokesman – showed that North Korea has focused its attention on developments in Russia’s bitter 11-month war against Ukraine and its ramifications for the peninsula.

Hong Min, director of the North Korean Research Division at the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification, pointed out that Kim’s statement had a different meaning, given that North Korea had released statements on the Russian-Ukrainian war through other senior foreign officials. and ministries of defence.

Kim Yo-jong’s statement seeks to show how she – who is Kim Jong-un’s closest aide and handles inter-Korean relations and foreign policy – viewed the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the statement aims to formalize and publicize North Korea’s support and cooperation with Russia, Hong said.

It is possible that North Korea will provide military aid to Russia in the future without hesitation depending on the progress of the war between Ukraine and Russia, although the country does not officially confirm this.

Hong pointed out that Kim’s statement also suggests North Korea’s intention to strengthen its diplomatic support for Russia and strengthen its presence and role against the United States on the Korean Peninsula in line with developments in the war in China. Ukraine.

Jung from Halla University explained that Kim Yo-jong’s remarks should be understood in the context of North Korean leaders’ perception of international relations. At the last year-end party plenum, Kim Jong-un said the structure of international relations had clearly transformed into a new Cold War system and the trend of multipolarity had accelerated.

Jung said North Korea seeks to strive to create a favorable international environment for the country.

Kim’s statement is part of North Korea’s overall foreign policy strategy which aims to make the new Cold War structure a done deal and to seek coordination with Russia and China in counter-confrontational structures. the United States and the West to have the upper hand by relying on China and Russia.

By Ji Da-gyum ([email protected])

[ad_2]