North Korea slams Blinken's comments on ties with Moscow
The Hindu
Pyongyang slams Blinken's comments on Russia ties, says they "escalate dangerous tension" in Korean peninsula. North Korea and Russia are historic allies, both under sanctions, and their growing military cooperation has been a source of concern. Pyongyang says their "friendly and cooperative relations" will grow stronger, despite U.S. criticism. U.S. Defence Secretary to meet with South Korean counterpart in Seoul.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Saturday slammed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments on Pyongyang's relations with Moscow, saying the remarks would "only escalate the dangerous political and military tension" on the peninsula.
Mr. Blinken was in Seoul earlier this week after attending a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan. He met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and other top officials.
During his visit to the South Korean capital, he said military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow were "growing and dangerous", and urged Beijing, Pyongyang's main ally, to restrain the nuclear-armed North.
Pyongyang on Saturday condemned Mr. Blinken and said his comments were "irresponsible and provocative".
The remarks "only escalate the dangerous political and military tension in the Korean peninsula and the region", Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
"The U.S. should be accustomed to the new reality of the DPRK-Russia relations," it added, using the North's official name.
Historic allies Russia and North Korea are both under international sanctions -- the former for its invasion of Ukraine and the latter over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.