Russia’s top diplomat accused the United States and its allies of preparing for a war with North Korea as tensions continue to rise between Pyongyang and Washington.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a United Nations news conference Wednesday that the U.S., South Korea and Japan are working together to prepare for a war with North Korea as they conduct large-scale military exercises in the region, The Associated Press reported. Lavrov added that South Korea’s rhetoric toward North Korea suddenly “became even more hostile.”
He said “aggressive rhetoric” has been heard coming from Japan as well. He also suggested the U.S. and its allies are engaging in “nuclear-related cooperation.”
“They’re preparing for war with the DPRK,” Lavrov said, referring to North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, according to the AP.
The U.S., South Korea and Japan conducted combined naval exercises that included using an American aircraft carrier last week, the AP noted. In response, North Korea said it tested an underwater nuclear attack drone in its eastern waters.
When asked for a response to Lavrov’s comments, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soosuk said they were a representation of North Korea’s “constantly false and misleading claims as it tries to shift the blame to the outside world while developing nuclear weapons and missiles under its own schedule.”
“Our government has consistently expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea without any preconditions,” Lim said during a briefing, the AP reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine — making him just one of the few world leaders to do so. The U.S. and other Western countries have raised concerns about a possible alignment between Russia and North Korea.
Russia and North Korea have also faced global accusations of alleged arms cooperation with each other that both countries have denied, according to the AP.
The Associated Press contributed.