North Korea Condemns NATO Summit, Demands Denuclearization Start with US Allies

North Korea has strongly condemned the recent NATO summit, asserting that the alliance is fueling military bloc expansion and accelerating arms buildups. In a statement released through state media KCNA, Pyongyang accused NATO leaders of portraying the exercise of its legitimate sovereign rights as a threat.

The foreign ministry statement detailed that the summit demonstrated a heightened commitment to "bloc-to-bloc confrontation." This is evidenced, according to North Korea, by increased arms spending and closer military cooperation between NATO and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. The ministry characterized the summit's outcomes as NATO pursuing exclusive geopolitical interests at the expense of regional and global peace and security.

“

The alliance demonstrated a stronger commitment to bloc-to-bloc confrontation through increased arms spending and closer military cooperation with allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

North Korea also voiced its perspective on denuclearization, stating that efforts should first focus on what it described as attempts by South Korea and Japan to develop their own nuclear weapons under U.S. protection. This stance includes criticism of the nuclear ambitions of NATO members involved in the alliance's nuclear-sharing arrangements.

Pyongyang reiterated its commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests, as well as regional peace, through the responsible exercise of its sovereign rights. This comes as North Korea has previously announced measures to strengthen its nuclear forces both "quantitatively and qualitatively," aligning with leader Kim Jong Un's call for military modernization.

“

denuclearisation efforts should focus first on what it described as attempts by South Korea and Japan to pursue their own nuclear weapons under U.S. protection, as well as the nuclear ambitions of NATO members participating in the alliance's nuclear-sharing arrangements