Top North Korean military officials criticised the United States on Monday for expanding its military assistance to Ukraine. And for sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for joint drills with South Korea and Japan. The officials were quoted by state news agency KCNA.

North Korea’s Concerns Over US Military Moves

North Korea’s Vice Minister of Defence, Kim Kang Il, said that the U.S. dispatching an aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula was a “very dangerous” show of force. He warned this could prompt North Korea to demonstrate its deterrence capabilities in an overwhelming manner.

The nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday. It is set to participate in joint military exercises later this month with South Korea and Japan.

Reaction to U.S. Support for Ukraine

Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea’s top military officials, also commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Pyongyang. He asserted that Moscow had the “right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike” if Washington continued pushing Ukraine into a “proxy war” against Russia. Pak warned that such actions could provoke a stronger response from Moscow and potentially lead to a “new world war.”

Pak referenced Pentagon comments from last week. A U.S. Department of Defence official was quoted as saying Ukrainian forces could use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike Russian forces anywhere in Russia. Washington and Seoul have expressed increasing concern over the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. They accused the two nations of violating international laws by trading arms for use against Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the allegations.

The North Korea-Russia Pact

Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a military pact on the former’s Pyongyang visit last week This agreement commits each country to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either nation. The Kremlin reported that Putin thanked Kim for his hospitality. He also noted that the trip had strengthened their ties to an unprecedented level.

Analysts suggest that this pact lays the groundwork for arms trade between the two countries. And solidifies their coalition against the U.S. and Western nations.

International Reactions and Further Developments

Senior officials from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan condemned the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. In a joint statement released by Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Monday, they expressed their disapproval in the “strongest possible terms.”

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Russia might have received about 1.6 million artillery shells from North Korea between August and January. This analysis, based on data from U.S. security nonprofit C4ADS, indicates the movement of 74,000 metric tons of explosives from Russia’s far eastern ports to locations mainly near Ukraine.

Additionally, TV Chosun, a South Korean cable TV network, reported that North Korea plans to send construction and engineering forces to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine for rebuilding work. These forces, currently earning hard currency for the regime under the guise of construction workers in China, would be relocated to these regions. South Korea’s foreign ministry stated it is continuing to monitor the situation.

With Inputs from Reuters