Play store
North Korea on Saturday strongly condemned the United States and its allies following the recent NATO summit, accusing them of intensifying military blocs and accelerating global arms buildups.
In a statement carried by state media KCNA, Pyongyang’s foreign ministry said NATO leaders were wrongly portraying North Korea’s “legitimate sovereign rights” as a threat.
It argued that the alliance is increasingly geared towards bloc-to-bloc confrontation through higher defence spending and expanded military cooperation, particularly with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
The president came after the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this week, where officials announced more than $50 billion in military procurement and industrial agreements.
European allies are also facing continued pressure from former US President Donald Trump to increase their defence contributions.
North Korea criticised what it described as NATO’s pursuit of “exclusive geopolitical interests” at the expense of global peace and stability, both in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Rejecting calls for its own denuclearisation, Pyongyang said such efforts should instead begin with US allies.
It pointed to South Korea and Japan, alleging they are seeking nuclear capabilities under US protection, and also criticised NATO members involved in nuclear-sharing arrangements.
The statement reaffirmed North Korea’s position that abandoning its nuclear weapons programme is no longer under consideration.
It added that the country would continue to safeguard its sovereignty and security through what it termed the “responsible exercise” of its rights.
Earlier, KCNA reported that North Korea plans to further strengthen its nuclear forces “quantitatively and qualitatively,” in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s push to modernise the military.
