North Korea denounces NATO's 'intention for inter-camp confrontation'
Pyongyang, July 11
North Korea condemned "the United States and its vassal forces" for the inter-camp confrontation intention displayed at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Summit, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Saturday.
The spokesperson made the remarks in a press statement reported by the official Korean Central News Agency, saying the trans-Atlantic bloc is exacerbating the security environment of Europe and creating instability in the Asia-Pacific.
The US-led NATO allies and their partners incited confrontation throughout the NATO Summit, held earlier this week in Ankara, Turkiye, the statement said, calling it clear proof that the organisation is "a war and confrontation body that goes against international peace and security in all parts of the world while pursuing exclusive geopolitical interests."
The statement noted that the US, Japan and South Korea's call for "denuclearisation", which "completely lost its timeliness and practical feasibility, can never affect the position of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the reality faced by the forces who have denied it for decades is a sufficient answer to this."
"NATO is systematically exacerbating the security environment of Europe through the implementation of its reckless eastward advance policy, to maintain illegal justification for its existence, which should have been extinct with the end of the Cold War, and creating instability in the Asia-Pacific region by shifting its responsibility onto other countries. Its provocative moves can never be overlooked," said the statement, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The reckless acts of the confrontation forces posing a destructive threat to the world security mechanical structure give a realistic justification to the renewal and expansion of the physical deterrent to confront them," it added.
North Korea will defend its national sovereignty and security interests and regional peace and stability by building up at an accelerated pace the strength capable of deterring the enemy countries' attempts at collective confrontation and their military threats, it said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an Indian, I find it ironic that North Korea talks about "confrontation" when they've been testing missiles over Japan and threatening South Korea for decades. NATO's presence in Asia-Pacific is concerning, but Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions are the real elephant in the room. Peace requires both sides to sit down without preconditions.
DPRK has a point about NATO expanding into Asia-Pacific though. Look at what happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. The West never learns. India should stay neutral and focus on our own border issues with China and Pakistan. Let the superpowers fight their proxy wars. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
North Korea calling NATO a "war machine" while starving its own people is the height of hypocrisy. India should condemn this rhetoric. The world needs denuclearization, not more nuclear states like DPRK threatening their neighbors. 🇰🇵 needs to open up and join the international community instead of hiding behind threats.
Look, I get that NATO's eastward expansion is provocative, but North Korea's statement about "denuclearisation losing timeliness" is dangerous. India knows the value of nuclear restraint (we've maintained NFU since 1999). Kim Jong Un should learn from India's responsible nuclear behaviour instead of threatening everyone. 😤
Both sides are wrong here. NATO is using the Russia-Ukraine war to justify its existence, and North Korea is using NATO's expansion to justify its nukes. India should be a voice of reason. We need a global peace initiative where all nuclear states commit to reduction, not escalation. This tit-for-tat will lead to disaster.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.