Miller: “North Korea supports Ukraine war… Expands security relations with Russia”
The U.S. State Department expressed concerns about expanding security relations in relation to the visit to North Korea by Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on the 13th.
Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said in a regular briefing on the 16th (local time) regarding Secretary Shoigu’s meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un during his visit to North Korea, “We remain gravely concerned about the expansion of security relations between North Korea and Russia, both in terms of the support North Korea continues to provide to Russia to wage its illegal war in Ukraine, and the prospect of Russia supporting North Korea in a way that ultimately destabilizes the Korean Peninsula.”
Spokesperson Miller was cautious when asked about the possibility of North Korea directly or indirectly participating in joint exercises conducted by China and Russia, saying, “I don’t want to speculate.”
In addition, he gave a positive evaluation of Sweden’s decision to resume diplomatic activities in North Korea, saying, “We support the return of (Swedish) diplomats to Pyongyang. We hope that this will lead to active dialogue, diplomacy, and other constructive engagement with North Korea.”
“I also hope that North Korea will open its borders to international humanitarian workers, who are hampered by the border closures,” he said, adding that he “would advise all Americans not to travel to North Korea.”
On the 13th, the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) announced that a delegation led by Secretary Shoigu had visited Pyongyang, and predicted that it would help implement the agreements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Pyongyang in June.
The following day, the Rodong Sinmun reported that Chairman Kim met with Secretary Shoigu and confirmed that they would expand cooperation as strategic partners.
Some say that Chairman Kim’s schedule for his visit to Russia may have been discussed during the meeting. In June, President Putin met Chairman Kim in Pyongyang and said he hoped the next meeting would be held in the Russian capital, Moscow.
Secretary Shoigu’s visit to North Korea is the first in 1 year and 2 months since July of last year. At the time, he was the Minister of Defense, and visited Pyongyang to attend the 70th anniversary of Victory Day parade (the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement) and held talks with Chairman Kim.
Two months later, he met Chairman Kim in Vladivostok, Russia, and discussed military cooperation between the two countries.
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2024-09-18 12:46:19