New York: North Korea has pledged to enhance its nuclear capabilities in response to a recent report indicating that the United States has updated its nuclear strategic plan.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea will “bolster up its strategic strength in every way to control and eliminate all sorts of security challenges that may result from Washington’s revised plan.”
The New York Times reported that a plan approved by President Joe Biden in March aims to prepare for potential nuclear confrontations involving Russia, China, and North Korea. This highly classified strategy marks a shift in Washington’s deterrent focus toward countering China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, the Times noted.
KCNA further stated that North Korea’s foreign ministry “expresses serious concern over and bitterly denounces and rejects the behavior of the US.” The North Korean government has committed to advancing its nuclear forces to robustly defend its sovereignty.
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Since its establishment after World War II, North Korea has maintained a close alliance with Russia, which has strengthened following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and Seoul have accused North Korea of supplying ammunition and missiles to Russia for its conflict in Ukraine, a claim Pyongyang dismisses as “absurd”. North Korea has expressed gratitude towards Russia for using its United Nations veto in March to halt investigations into alleged sanctions violations related to arms transfers.
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China, another key ally of North Korea, has positioned itself as neutral in Russia’s Ukraine offensive, denying allegations of sending lethal assistance to either side. Nonetheless, China remains a significant political and economic partner of Russia, with trade between the two countries reaching record highs amid Western sanctions against Moscow.
