Blinken: Russia Intends to Share Space Tech With Pyongyang, Is Close to Accepting DPRK’s Nukes

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that Russia intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for troops and weapons, making his final visit to South Korea as the Biden administration heads for the exit.

Washington’s top diplomat also signaled that the U.S. had “serious concerns” about ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law last month, even as he reaffirmed support for many of the alliance-building measures that the now-suspended leader pursued.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with ROK foreign minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, Blinken said the heightened cooperation between the “revisionist” authoritarian regimes over the war in Ukraine could lead to Russian support for North Korea’s nuclear development.

“Putin may be close to reversing a decades-long policy by accepting DPRK’s nuclear weapons program,” he said, echoing similar concerns raised by Washington’s ambassador to the U.N. last month.

Blinken also emphasized that the two countries’ ongoing military cooperation is a “two-way street” as North Korea sends troops to fight in Kursk.

“Russia’s already providing equipment to the DPRK, providing training,” he said. “We believe it has the intent to provide satellite and space technology.”

Washington’s top diplomat expressed concern about the reported deaths of over 1,000 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, adding that deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation shows threats to the Atlantic and Pacific can no longer be separated.

Blinken reiterated the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance as a “linchpin of peace, prosperity and security” in Northeast Asia and the wider world.

In particular, he hailed bilateral cooperative efforts such as the U.S.-ROK Nuclear Consultative Group in jointly deterring North Korean threats and the strengthening of the trilateral partnership with Japan through military exercises, real-time data sharing and enhancing interoperability.

“Today, the alliance between the United States and South Korea is more essential than ever,” he said, adding that Washington remains committed to defending its allies with the full extent of its capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

Blinken’s trip marked his fourth and final visit as secretary of state to South Korea, the first leg of a three-country tour that will also take him to Japan and France.

North Korea notably fired an apparent intermediate-range ballistic missile not long after he arrived, its first missile launch in two months.

South Korean foreign minister Cho said the two sides condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch and agreed to respond resolutely to North Korean threats through “a watertight combined defense posture and extended deterrence.”

Addressing the upcoming change of administration in the U.S., Cho emphasized that there will be no “vacuum” in the alliance even after President-elect Donald Trump takes charge.

“Even when the Trump administration comes to power, we will move forward while closely cooperating on all policy actions based on solidarity as countries sharing basic values,” he said.

Trump’s return has raised concerns about the future of the alliance’s joint deterrence strategy against DPRK threats, particularly given the incoming leader’s reluctance to retain American troops in South Korea and his affinity for leader-to-leader engagement with Kim Jong Un.

The president-elect may not prioritize North Korea as much as more pressing issues like conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, and even his list of nominees suggests Pyongyang may end up on the backburner.

Trump nominated another official with DPRK experience, William “Beau” Harrison, as his assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for operations over the weekend. He lauded Harrison’s role in arranging U.S.-DPRK summits during Trump’s first term, but it is unclear what his role will involve this time.

However, there are also doubts about Seoul’s side of the alliance at the moment, following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment over his short-lived martial law declaration last month.

“We had serious concerns about some of the actions that President Yoon took,” Blinken said during Monday’s press conference. However, he added that the U.S. remains confident in “the resiliency of South Korean democracy.”

Earlier in the day, Blinken met Acting President Choi Sang-mok and similarly reaffirmed Washington’s confidence in the strength of the alliance, according to a State Department press release.

“He underscored the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the ROK,” the press release said, adding that Blinken and Choi discussed ways to further advance bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Japan going forward.

Source: NK News