Michelle ThompsonForeign Ministry blames US and allies for tensions caused by ‘provocative moves’.
Russia chastised the West on Wednesday for its “desire” to blame North Korea for rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, citing a string of nuclear tests in recent months.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry blamed the situation on the US and its allies for taking “provocative steps,” such as “drawing in NATO infrastructure, increasing the level of military preparations, and increasing maneuvers and exercises in close proximity to the borders” of North Korea, including those with a nuclear component.
These actions by the United States, South Korea, and Japan are pressuring Pyongyang to take steps to safeguard its own defense and security, it continued.
“We call for an end to the irresponsible and explosive line of the US, which, under the slogan of ‘Indo-Pacific strategies,’ would like to undermine the independent development of the countries of the region and the sovereign right of their peoples to preserve and strengthen their identity and choose an independent path of development,” the statement went on to say.
Tensions between the Koreas have reached a new high due to increased missile testing by North Korea and joint military drills with the US.
Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea have grown closer, with the US accusing Pyongyang of sending Russia with munitions and military equipment to support its war effort in Ukraine.
