On June 18, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), emphasized his concern over the possibility of Russia supporting North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs relative to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that the U.S. would do everything possible to block North Korea’s weapons support to Russia.
After meeting with Blinken at the State Department in Washington D.C., Stoltenberg stated in a joint press conference, “Putin’s visit to North Korea confirms and demonstrates that Russia is closely collaborating with authoritarian countries like North Korea, China, and Iran.”
He emphasized, “We are concerned about the possibility of Russia supporting North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. We are watching how much military support Russia is receiving from North Korea and Iran, and how much China is supporting Russia’s war economy.”
Blinken responded, “We will continue to do everything possible to block the support provided by countries like Iran and North Korea to Russia.”
Blinken stated, “We have seen Russia desperately trying to develop and strengthen relationships with countries that can provide what is needed for Russia to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine. North Korea is providing a significant amount of ammunition and other weapons that Russia can use in Ukraine.”
He emphasized, “If China is truly interested in ending the war in Ukraine, it should stop encouraging Russia’s war machine.”
Stoltenberg said that the support of North Korea, China, and Iran for Russia shows that security is not regional, but global, stating, “What happens in Europe is important in Asia, and what happens in Asia is important to us.”
He added, “This is clearly seen in Ukraine, where Iran, North Korea, and China are supporting and encouraging Russia’s aggression. The idea of dividing security into regional battlefields no longer works, and because everything is intertwined, we must face these challenges together.”
Stoltenberg announced that he has invited the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to the NATO summit to be held in Washington D.C. in mid-July, to discuss how to respond to the challenges in the Asia region with these Asia-Pacific partner countries and strengthen cooperation.
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