Russia’s top diplomat accused the United States, South Korea and Japan on Wednesday of preparing for war with North Korea.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a U.N. news conference that this new military bloc brought together by the United States is building up military activity and conducting large-scale exercises.
The United States, South Korea and Japan have described their combined military drills as defensive in nature and necessary to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats.
All of a sudden South Korea’s rhetoric “became even more hostile towards Pyongyang,” Lavrov said. “In Japan as well, we hear aggressive rhetoric” and it is seriously talking about setting up NATO infrastructure with U.S. assistance.
Lavrov said the objective of the military bloc is clearly stated: “They’re preparing for war with the DPRK,” the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Russian minister said the United States and its Asian allies have also been talking about developing their cooperation. “It’s quite wishy-washy the way they phrased it, but they said something like nuclear-related cooperation,” he said.
Last week, the three countries conducted combined naval exercises involving an American aircraft carrier in their latest show of strength against nuclear-armed North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been on a provocative run of weapons testing and threats that raised regional tensions to their highest point in years. Senior diplomats from the three allies were to meet in Seoul to discuss the worsening standoff with Pyongyang.
On the other hand, Lavrov said Russia’s relationship with North Korea is “proceeding nicely, it’s developing quite actively.” “We see that the DPRK is trying to be independent, not to dance anybody’s tune,” he said.
Kim is one of the few world leaders openly supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. Kim has been actively boosting the visibility of his ties with Russia in an attempt to break out of diplomatic isolation and strengthen his footing, as he navigates a deepening nuclear standoff with Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
When asked about Lavrov’s comments, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soosuk said they reflected North Korea’s “constantly false and misleading claims as it tries to shift the blame to the outside world while developing nuclear weapons and missiles under its own schedule.”
He accused North Korea of further raising tensions with its weapons demonstrations this month, including missile tests and artillery test-firings near a disputed sea boundary with the South.
