In a call with his South Korean counterpart, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his severest condemnation over deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, reiterating the highest consideration for the Seoul-Washington alliance, according to his spokesperson.
The call between Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul was made after Yonhap news agency reported Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty covering defense and other sectors during their summit in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
"The Secretary condemned deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including ongoing arms transfers that violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and reaffirmed the vital importance of the ironclad US-South Korea alliance in promoting peace, security, and prosperity around the world," said Matthew Miller, Spokesperson, in a statement.
He thanked Cho for Seoul's "steadfast" support for Ukraine, and both agreed to maintain their collaboration in efforts against the "complex and evolving" security challenges from North Korea. And they vowed to support peace and stability in the South China Sea, Miller added.
This week's summit between Putin and Kim has raised vast concern in Seoul and Washington about what it could mean to regional and global security.
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