Russia-North Korea partnership agreement is concern for China – White House

John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, believes that the "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement between Russia and North Korea should concern not only the United States but also China.

Source: Kirby at a briefing, European Pravda citing Ukrinform

Details: Kirby said that the agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang is at odds with China's approaches, which he had expressed earlier.

The White House believes that these concerns will be shared by China because the agreement seems to directly contradict the statement that Putin and Xi made in Beijing just a month ago. He added that it was a commitment to a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the situation in Ukraine.

The White House spokesperson stressed that any country that cares about security in the Indo-Pacific region and believes that UN Security Council decisions have to be implemented should be concerned.

Background:

• The day before, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, which includes a provision about mutual assistance in case of aggression against either of these states.
• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the agreement demonstrates increasing coherence between authoritarian states and underlines the importance of democracies speaking with a united voice.
• The US presidential administration said that Putin's meeting with Kim Jong-un demonstrates Moscow's desire to form a coalition with North Korea, Iran, Syria and, to some extent, China.

Support UP or become our patron!