The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Reuters has reported that North Korea on Saturday condemned the United States and its allies for strengthening military alliances and accelerating arms buildups following this week's NATO summit, arguing that denuclearization efforts should begin with U.S. allies rather than Pyongyang.
According to Reuters, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused NATO leaders of portraying the country's exercise of what it described as its legitimate sovereign rights as a threat. The statement was carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The ministry said the alliance had demonstrated a stronger commitment to bloc-based confrontation by increasing defense spending and expanding military cooperation with allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Reuters reported that NATO officials announced more than $50 billion in military procurement and industrial agreements during the alliance's summit in Turkey on Tuesday, as European allies continue to face pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to assume a larger share of NATO's defense responsibilities.
North Korea also criticized remarks by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who said on the sidelines of the summit that Seoul hopes to expand cooperation with NATO members in research and development, including advanced technologies and weapons production.
According to the statement, Pyongyang described NATO as an organization oriented toward war and confrontation, accusing the alliance of pursuing exclusive geopolitical interests at the expense of peace and security in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Reuters reported that North Korea reiterated its long-standing position that Western efforts to persuade it to abandon its nuclear weapons program are no longer valid. Instead, Pyongyang said denuclearization should first address what it described as South Korea's and Japan's pursuit of nuclear capabilities under the protection of the United States, as well as the nuclear-sharing arrangements involving some NATO members.
The Foreign Ministry said North Korea would continue to safeguard its sovereignty, security interests, and regional peace through what it called the responsible exercise of its sovereign rights.
Reuters also reported that KCNA said on Friday North Korea had decided to strengthen its nuclear forces "quantitatively and qualitatively" as leader Kim Jong Un continues to push for the modernization of the country's military.
