WASHINGTON — North Korea has strongly criticized the recent NATO summit declaration, which condemned its weapons exports to Russia, labeling it as an "illegal" document and threatening "strategic counteraction." This reaction came after NATO leaders, including those from four Indo-Pacific nations, expressed significant concerns about the growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the declaration was denounced following a summit in Washington involving leaders of the 32-member NATO alliance and partners from South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The NATO declaration, released on Wednesday, condemned Pyongyang's arms exports to Russia, highlighting the alliance's apprehension over the deepening ties between the two nations.
The declaration from the NATO summit was described by the North Korean spokesperson as a violation of the rights of sovereign states and a trigger for a new Cold War and global military confrontations. The statement, distributed by the Korean Central News Agency, emphasized North Korea's resolve to confront what it perceives as a direct threat with enhanced strategic measures.
The NATO statement had specifically pointed out that North Korea's exports of artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia breached numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions. In response, the spokesperson from the DPRK declared that North Korea would robustly defend itself against perceived aggressions and threats to regional and global peace and security by elevating its level of strategic counteractions.