In a recent broadcast on Russia's Channel-1, Vladimir Solovyov, a prominent Kremlin advocate and television host, lauded the burgeoning strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.
He issued a stark warning, stating, "thanks to our technologies, the territory of the United States is under threat." As reported by Newsweek, Solovyov, who has previously faced international sanctions and is often labeled a propagandist, made these remarks during a televised discussion.
The Russian Media Monitor, a watchdog group established by journalist Julia Davis, released a video of Solovyov's comments on Thursday. Solovyov, who has publicly backed Putin's military actions in Ukraine, underscored the potential global impact of the Russia-North Korea alliance. "This new level of relations between Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a direct threat, not only to Japan and South Korea, but also to the territory of the United States," he declared.
The geopolitical landscape in the Korean peninsula is becoming increasingly tense, with South Korea recently summoning the Russian ambassador to express its disapproval of the Kremlin's new defense pact with Pyongyang. This comes amid nebulous threats from North Korea, which has expressed its intent to retaliate against South Korean activists who have been disseminating anti-North Korean leaflets across the shared border.
On Wednesday, a treaty pledging mutual military assistance in the event of an attack was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The treaty, as published by North Korean state media, stipulates that in the event of an invasion of either Russia or North Korea, the other party "shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay."
Solovyov further elaborated on the implications of this treaty, stating, "In the event of aggression, countries may come to each other's aidlet me remind you, we're currently facing aggression. Let me remind you that military actions are taking place on our constitutional territories in the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk and partially, Luhansk." His comments have sparked controversy, given that these regions are located within Ukraine.
The United States, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has denounced the invasion, viewing it as a direct assault on Ukrainian sovereignty. Since the onset of the war on February 24, 2022, the U.S. Congress has approved five bills amounting to $175 billion in aid to Kiev, as per the Council on Foreign Relations. A significant portion of this aid is allocated for military support, including weapons, training, and intelligence. In addition, the U.S. and NATO allies have agreed to supply Ukraine with U.S.-made F-16s, which are expected to be operational soon.
Solovyov, referring to the strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea, asserted, "If I understand it correctly, thanks to our technologies, the territory of the United States is under threat." He cited a 2024 report by the Federation of American Scientists, which estimates that Russia possesses the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, approximately 5,580, while North Korea is believed to have about 50 nuclear weapons.
He described the pact as "an epic defeat of America's political elite," and encouraged China "to join the family of nations that is fighting against colonialism."
Edward Verona, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, expressed skepticism about the reliability of Russian public media for serious analysis in a phone interview. "You can't rely on what you're hearing on Russia public media for any sort of serious analysis," Verona said. "Anything that gets covered by Russian TV has to be seen from the perspective that they are talking to a domestic audience, which does not have access by and large [unless they have access to VPN] to outside information. It's used to bolster domestic support."
While the implications of this new alliance are yet to be fully understood, it is clear that the global political landscape is shifting. The role of the United States and its allies in this changing environment remains to be seen.
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