Japan has expressed serious concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to North Korea, where he did not rule out military cooperation with the isolated nation. This announcement came after Putin signed a strategic treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, pledging mutual assistance if either country is attacked.
Putin mentioned the possibility of military-technical collaboration with North Korea, referring to it by its official name, the DPRK. Japan’s top government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, highlighted that such cooperation could violate UN Security Council resolutions and impact regional security.
“Japan is deeply worried that President Putin did not rule out military-technical cooperation with North Korea,” Hayashi stated at a press briefing.
Putin also suggested that UN sanctions on North Korea should be re-evaluated, a notion Hayashi firmly rejected, labeling it “unacceptable.” He emphasized that Russia’s procurement of arms and ammunition, including ballistic missiles from North Korea, and their use in Ukraine, clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions.
