North Korea has accused the United States of fuelling tensions in the Taiwan Strait through arms sales and military support for Taiwan, while reaffirming its backing for Russia, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday.
A KCNA commentary citing North Korean international affairs analyst Kim Myong Chol said Washington’s policy towards Taiwan was undermining peace and stability in the region.
The commentary criticised the recent arrival of US-made fighter jets in Taiwan and warned Washington to consider the potential consequences of confronting China over the island.
It questioned whether the United States was prepared for a “frontal confrontation” with China and whether it could deal with the consequences of such a conflict.
The comments came after the first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered by Taiwan in 2019 arrived on the island last week, as Taipei faces growing military pressure from Beijing.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan maintains its own democratically elected government and has never been governed by the People’s Republic of China.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged continued support for Russia and its war effort in a birthday message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to KCNA.
Kim said Pyongyang would continue expanding cooperation under the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.
He also said he was confident that Russia’s “sacred war of justice” to defend its sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity would ultimately end in victory.
The message did not explicitly mention Russia’s war in Ukraine.
North Korea has, however, sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine since 2024, according to estimates by Ukrainian and South Korean authorities.
Relations between North Korea and Russia have strengthened significantly since Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim signed a mutual defence pact in June 2024.
