North Korea fires back at Western criticism, defends nuclear deterrence strategy

The nuclear weapons of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are intended solely to deter hostile actions against the country, and they are not subject to any negotiation or concession.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) declared in a commentary that "the nuclear forces of our state are meant to disrupt any aggressive actions by hostile forces that threaten the sovereignty, security, and peace of our people and region", per Caliber.Az.

It further emphasized that Pyongyang "does not seek recognition" for its nuclear capabilities, and these weapons "are not up for negotiation" or exchange for "insignificant compensation."

While the commentary did not specifically address the policies of the newly elected US President Donald Trump, it criticized NATO and the EU for their unrealistic positions, dismissing their calls for a "complete, verifiable, and irreversible" dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program as "eccentric nonsense" that "provokes laughter."

The agency also highlighted that the DPRK’s nuclear arsenal is built to counter provocations from the West, describing it as a "brazen robber" interfering in the affairs of the Korean Peninsula. It further attributed the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East to the "machinations" of the US and Western powers pursuing "geopolitical interests."

This commentary came after a meeting between US President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Following the meeting, Trump reaffirmed that his administration would maintain diplomatic ties with North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un.

Prime Minister Ishiba reiterated Japan's commitment, alongside the US, to counter North Korea’s nuclear program, stating that both nations would work toward the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."

Earlier, on the first day of his second term, Trump referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power.”

By Tamilla Hasanova