nato visit south korea

Japan and South Korea’s Attendance at the Upcoming NATO Summit Could Worsen Global Tensions

A s the military conflict in Ukraine bogs down on a slice of the embattled nation’s eastern and southern periphery, the geopolitical shift sparked by Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion keeps gaining new ground. This week, it emerged that the leaders of Japan and South Korea will attend a NATO summit, as observers, for the first time. It’s another sign of Western-style democracies teaming up to meet the bellicose challenge of Moscow and the growing global assertiveness of Beijing.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday that he would attend the June 28-30 gathering of the 30-strong military alliance in Madrid. The attendance of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was confirmed earlier by his presidential office. Both leaders have legitimate reasons to consider their nations threatened by Russian aggression. Japan has a sea border and is locked in territorial disputes with Russia. The Kremlin’s historic backing of North Korea is meanwhile a perennial security concern for Seoul.

Commenting on his historic visit, Kishida told reporters that he intended to highlight common security concerns in Europe and Asia. “As the only Asian country in the G7, Japan’s diplomatic capabilities are being tested,” he said.

Read More: Biden’s Moves on NATO Come Amid Fears Russia Will Expand Its War Past Ukraine

The news is a geopolitical blow to Russian President Vladmir Putin. Already, formerly neutral European nations Finland and Sweden have applied to join the bloc , while Denmark recently voted to align with the E.U. on defense matters . The presence of Kishida and Yoon in Madrid is also an unwelcome development for Beijing, which has refused to condemn Moscow for the war, arguing, as many Western thinkers have , that Russia was provoked by NATO’s eastward expansion.

Mieko Nakabayashi, a professor at Tokyo’s Waseda University and a former Japanese lawmaker, says that Kishida’s attendance at the meeting is a “turning point” for Japan, which still officially has a pacifist constitution. “Japanese people realize the world is changing and Japan is pretty vulnerable,” she says. “The Ukraine war was so incomprehensible for many Japanese people that it served as a wake-up call. The decline of American hegemony has convinced Japanese people that just being with the U.S. is not safe enough.”

As a result, Asia’s delicate security architecture may now be in the process of change. At the Shangri-la Dialogue security summit in Singapore on June 11, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III insisted “we do not seek a new Cold War, an Asian NATO, or a region split into hostile blocs.”

Critics say that’s exactly what NATO risks by expanding its remit beyond a European security mission.

Asia Gets Serious About Defense

Over the last few weeks, Kishida has hosted a summit of the Quad security dialogue —alongside the U.S., Australia and India—and given the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, warning “I myself have a strong sense of urgency that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.”

Had this outreach been made by Japan’s hawkish former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Nakabayashi says there probably would have been more domestic pushback. However, Kishida is perceived as being more dovish than Abe and his rhetoric on defense has more credibility. Already, Japan has promised to boost defense spending to 2% of GDP in line with NATO targets, with Abe saying the nation would be a “laughing stock” if it didn’t.

To be clear, South Korea has had extremely robust relations with Moscow, driven chiefly by economics and the confluence of South Korea’s New Northern Policy and Russia’s Turn to the East . Seoul didn’t impose its own sanctions against Moscow in response to the 2014 annexation of Crimea. But a tilt towards NATO risks upsetting that mutually beneficial detente. South Korea’s spy agency has already joined NATO’s cyber defense unit.

“If South Korea is going to burn those bridges with Moscow, I’m concerned that the situation could escalate in the Korean peninsula with Russia playing a more robust role to support Pyongyang,” says Lyle Goldstein, director for Asia engagement at the Washington D.C.-based Defense Priorities think tank and a visiting professor at Brown University. “No doubt, Pyongyang is one of the big winners in the whole Ukraine war.”

The perception in Beijing is that Tokyo and Seoul’s participation in Madrid is directed at China. “NATO is headed by the United States,” says Zhou Bo, a retired PLA senior colonel and senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University. “Therefore, if the United States concludes that China is a more serious threat than Russia, then of course it will just make use of NATO.”

Read More: Biden’s Vow to Defend Taiwan If China Invaded Is Risky

China has previously enjoyed friendly relations with NATO, frequently partnering with the bloc on joint exercises like anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. In addition, NATO delegations have attended the influential Xiangshan Forum in Beijing and engaged in many official exchanges.

Yet NATO’s attitude to China is turning more hostile. Zhou, who during his PLA career was for a period in charge of relations with NATO, says that the bloc used to describe China as an “opportunity,” but under U.S. direction has tellingly shifted to using the term “challenge.”

“The irony is the U.S. actually poses a problem for NATO member states, because most of them are European countries still friendly with China,” says Zhou. “These are just countries wearing too many hats in different capacities.”

While Goldstein says there are positives to Japan and South Korea taking their own defense more seriously, he cautions that coalescing a bloc of Asian allies with China on the outside risks recreating the same alienating circumstances for China that Russia felt preceding the Ukraine war.

“One of the problems with European security is that it increasingly became purely about trying to deter Russia, which became convinced that it was on the outside and had nothing to lose in using force,” says Goldstein.

“The nightmare scenario in East Asia is that China decides they have nothing to gain from actively participating in this [security] architecture so they basically have to destroy the architecture.”

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S. Korea, NATO establish new partnership for cooperation in 11 areas

By Lee Haye-ah

VILNIUS, July 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday established a new bilateral partnership for cooperation in 11 areas ranging from antiterrorism and nonproliferation to emerging technologies and cyber defense, the presidential office said.

Yoon and Stoltenberg adopted the Individually Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP) during a meeting on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, elevating the bilateral relationship from the Individual Partnership Cooperation Program (IPCP) established in 2012, according to the office.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pose for a photo after signing the Individually Tailored Partnership Program during their meeting at the venue of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. (Yonhap)

The IPCP outlined cooperation in seven areas, including political-military connectivity, cyber defense, nonproliferation and antiterrorism, while the new ITPP increases the number of areas to 11 to include dialogue and consultations to promote mutual understanding on common security threats, among other things.

"I came to institutionalize a framework for cooperation by establishing the ITPP and to carry out consultations on cooperation with NATO in the military information and cyber spheres," Yoon said at the outset of the meeting.

"At a time when security in the Atlantic and security in the Indo-Pacific region cannot be separated, it is more important than ever to have close cooperation between Indo-Pacific nations, such as the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and NATO," he said, referring to the four countries invited to the summit as NATO partner nations.

Stoltenberg echoed Yoon's remarks, saying South Korea is a highly valued partner of NATO.

"We value the partnership with you because security is not regional, security is global," he said. "What happens in the Indo-Pacific matters for Europe and what happens in Europe matters for the Indo-Pacific."

Under the ITPP, the two sides agreed to hold regular working-level and senior-level talks on political and military affairs while pushing for South Korea's participation in NATO discussions on emerging technologies and cyber defense.

The partnership also calls for establishing a consultation body to strengthen antiterrorism capabilities between South Korea and NATO, and pushing for South Korea's participation in NATO antiterrorism exercises and working groups.

The other areas of cooperation fall under the themes of practical cooperation for interoperability between South Korea's military and NATO-led exercises, cooperation in science and technology, the response to climate change in the security realm, women's participation for international peace and stability, and public diplomacy to enhance awareness of the South Korea-NATO partnership.

During his meeting with Stoltenberg, Yoon explained South Korea's plans to establish an international cyber exercise center by 2027, saying he hopes for close cooperation between the new center and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, according to his office.

Yoon reaffirmed South Korea's unwavering support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the NATO chief thanked the South Korean government for its assistance to the Ukrainian people.

The two also discussed North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

"President Yoon stressed that the international community must send a firm message in response to North Korea's illegal nuclear and missile provocations, and asked for NATO's continued support," the presidential office said.

"Secretary General Stoltenberg reaffirmed his position that he supports the South Korean government's efforts for North Korea's complete denuclearization and sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula," it added.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from R) talks with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (3rd from L) during their meeting at the venue of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

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NATO chief Stoltenberg visits South Korea to deepen ties in Asia amid growing Chinese aggression

NATO is concerned about North Korea’s “reckless” missile tests and nuclear weapon programme, while the war in Ukraine had ramifications for Asia, Stoltenberg said

Seoul: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in South Korea on Sunday, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with the U.S. allies in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China.

In the South Korean capital, Seoul, Stoltenberg met Foreign Minister Park Jin, and was expected to meet President Yoon Suk-yeol and Minister of National Defence Lee Jong-Sup.

NATO is concerned about North Korea’s “reckless” missile tests and nuclear weapon programme, while the war in Ukraine had ramifications for Asia, Stoltenberg told Park in remarks at the beginning of their meeting, citing suspicion that North Korea is providing military support to the Russian war effort.

“This just highlights how we are interconnected,” he said.

Both officials cited “shared values” between NATO countries and South Korea.

“Given today’s unprecedented global challenges, we believe that solidarity among countries that share values of freedom, democracy, and rule of law is more important than ever,” Park said.

Flying to Tokyo on Monday, the secretary general has meetings scheduled with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other Japanese officials.

While NATO will remain focussed on Europe and North America, its members are affected by issues around the world, Stoltenberg told South Korea’s Yonhap News agency in an interview.

“We need to address these global threats and challenges, including the challenges coming from China, and one way of doing that is, of course, to work more closely with partners in the region,” he said.

Yoon and Kishida became the first leaders from their countries to attend a NATO summit, joining alliance leaders as observers last year.

Following the summit, South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO , vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

Chinese state media had warned against South Korea and Japan attending the NATO summit and criticised the alliance’s broadening partnerships in Asia.

North Korea has said NATO involvement in the Asia-Pacific region would import the conflict raging in Europe.

Both North Korea and Russia have denied U.S. accusations that North Korea is supplying weapons for the war in Ukraine.

North Korea on Sunday criticised for a second day a U.S. decision to send tanks to Ukraine, calling it an “unethical crime” aimed at perpetuating an unstable international situation.

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South Korea wants closer ties with Western democracies to push back against authoritarian onslaught, NATO Parliamentarians told in Seoul

28 october 2022.

Photos of the visit

The Republic of Korea (RoK) is concerned by the escalation of tensions in the Korean peninsula and across the globe at a time when authoritarian powers are bent on undermining the rules-based international order. Like-minded democracies in Asia, North America and Europe must double down on their partnership to confront these threats. This was the message that members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) heard repeatedly during their visit to Seoul from 18 to 22 October.

The delegation of two Assembly Sub-Committees – on NATO Partnerships (PCNP) and on Resilience and Civil Security (CDSRCS) consisted of 21 European lawmakers representing 13 NATO member states. The delegation was led by PCNP Chairperson Marcos Perestrello (Portugal) and CDSRCS Vice-Chairperson Muhammet Naci Cinisli (Türkiye).

Senior Korean government officials and legislators expressed particular concern about the increased belligerence of the North Korean (DPRK) regime. This year, Pyongyang has conducted a record number of missile tests – more than 40 launches – and, reportedly, was preparing for a nuclear test, its first since 2017 and the 7th overall. One expert from Korea’s leading thinktank – the ASAN Institute for Policy Studies – argued that the DPRK’s missile and nuclear doctrine has evolved in recent years, shifting the focus from defensive (the strategic deterrence of the United States) to offensive (threatening South Korea directly with short- and medium-range missiles) posture. The doctrine does not contain the ‘no first use’ principle, and Pyongyang signals its readiness to use nuclear weapons if it feels that the regime is threatened.

Various Korean and international interlocutors told the NATO PA delegation that, in 2017-2018, attempts by the previous RoK government – as well as by the previous US administration – to engage with Pyongyang led only to a temporary improvement of the security environment on the peninsula. Since 2018, this environment has deteriorated significantly as the DPRK reverted back to its nuclear and missile blackmail tactics hoping to achieve sanctions relief. The new RoK administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol pursues a clear-eyed foreign policy, focusing on deterring the DPRK, primarily through a closer alliance with the United States, the delegation heard.

At the same time, Seoul is open to engaging with Pyongyang, announcing what President Yoon described as an ‘audacious’ offer to provide significant economic, humanitarian and diplomatic assistance to the DPRK in exchange for rolling back its missile and nuclear programmes. As Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the delegation, Seoul hopes that Pyongyang “will make an audacious decision to accept our audacious proposal.”

Korean and international interlocutors were sceptical about the prospects of Korean reunification in the foreseeable future, albeit reunification remains the ultimate long-term strategic goal for RoK. Despite sweeping international sanctions, the DPRK is relatively self-sufficient. The food shortage is noticeable but not catastrophic, the delegation heard. The regime is also propped up by China and Russia. The younger generation in South Korea no longer has memories of the 1950-1953 Korean war and is increasingly distant from their northern neighbours. Many South Koreans are also concerned about the potentially enormous economic cost of reuniting the two countries with vastly different levels of prosperity, NATO Parliamentarians learned. As one Korean expert pointed out, at this stage, peace and stability in the Korean peninsula, not reunification, is the most urgent objective.

The new RoK administration has brought back the issue of human rights to the centre of the RoK’s North Korea policy. Some NGO representatives argued that this dimension has been somewhat neglected in recent years. RoK officials and civil activists told the delegation about massive and gruesome human rights violations in the DPRK, including torture, public executions, unlawful detainment, information lockdown and forced labour. Under the pretext of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions have been tightened further. Ambassador Lee Shin-hwa, recently appointed by the new government as a special envoy on Human Rights in North Korea, called on Western policymakers to sustain global awareness of the tragic human rights situation in the DPRK and to use their international clout to make the regime accountable for its actions.

RoK-NATO and RoK-US cooperation are of crucial strategic importance for Seoul, the delegation heard. Korean interlocutors applauded the fact that President Yoon participated in the NATO Summit in Madrid. Minister Park and Minister of National Defence, Lee Jong-Sup, as well as Kim Jinpyo, Speaker of the National Assembly, and members of the parliamentary National Defence and Intelligence Committees called for further development of practical cooperation between the RoK and NATO, including enhancing interoperability through joint exercises and jointly tackling emerging security challenges. NATO Parliamentarians and their Korean interlocutors were united in their assessment of Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific security being closely inter-related. Minister Park also noted that participation in NATO meetings serves as a tangible incentive to consolidate the grouping of four like-minded Asia-Pacific countries: Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the RoK – the so-called Asia-Pacific Four (AP4).

With regard to the RoK-US alliance, President Yoon’s administration abandoned the so-called Three Noes approach (no additional deployment of US-made THAAD anti-missile system in the RoK; no participation in a US-led missile defense network; and no involvement in a trilateral military alliance with the US and Japan). Seoul also joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), promoted by the United States and is considering joining the ‘Chip 4’, an alliance pitched by the US between major semiconductor producers. NATO Parliamentarians visited the US Forces Korea/United Nations Command/ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command at Camp Humphreys, the largest US military base overseas, where 28,000 deployed US and partner troops as well as crucial assets such as Patriot air defence systems, serve as a powerful representation of the US and international commitment to the protection of the armistice and South Korean sovereignty. The delegation also visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone and were briefed by representatives of the United Nations Command.

The Chinese factor looms large in Seoul’s strategic calculations. NATO Parliamentarians were told that for the RoK, the People’s Republic of China is a larger economic partner than the U.S., the UK and the EU combined. In the past, Seoul was hoping to compartmentalise its economic relationship with China and its security alliance with the US. However, the current RoK administration embraces a more holistic approach, recognising the interlinkages between political, security and economic policies. Minister Park stressed that the RoK sees itself as an integral part of the global camp of democracies, and that there is a clear ideological distinction between the RoK and China. Nevertheless, geopolitical realities dictate that Seoul must seek ‘harmonious’ and ‘trouble-free’ relations with Beijing. The Minister noted that South Korea’s technological leadership is a crucial asset for his country, ensuring that Beijing treats the RoK with respect. He urged Asian and Euro-Atlantic democracies to work closer together to maintain their technological edge – not only for economic, but also for strategic purposes.

Korean government officials and parliamentarians were united in their condemnation of Russia’s illegitimate and brutal war against Ukraine. Minister Lee noted that South Korea has joined the international sanctions regime, supported pro-Ukrainian resolutions at the United Nations and provides economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine. The Minister added that Seoul is considering additional options to increase support to Ukraine. Korean interlocutors stressed that their support for Ukraine stems from their sense of solidarity with a democratic country attacked by an authoritarian neighbour.

Given the RoK’s status as the 10th largest economy in the world with the 8th largest defence sector, Seoul periodically faces questions about potential military assistance to Ukraine. Several experts argued that due to the RoK’s vulnerable geopolitical situation and the DPRK’s connection with Russia, Seoul must act prudently to protect its own national interests. However, RoK’s defence sector is expanding ties with several NATO Allies. During their visit to Hanwha Defence, a leading Korean defence company, the delegation learned about Hanwha’s military products procured by NATO Allies Turkey, Norway, Poland and Estonia, while talks are underway with several other Allies. Some members of the NATO PA delegation argued during the discussions that military industrial cooperation between the RoK and NATO countries would benefit from the revision of South Korea’s so-called ‘offset’ policy, i.e., the obligation for the seller of military technology to make financial commitments related to industrial development of the RoK.

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This report was adopted by the Political Committee at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Lisbon. This report discusses ways to rejuvenate the transatlantic bond and…

2021 - REPORT - TEN YEARS AFTER THE ARAB SPRING: DEMOCRATIC EXPECTATIONS AND DISILLUSIONS

This report was adopted by the Committee on Democracy and Security at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Lisbon. The 2011-2012 uprisings in the Middle East and North…

2021 - REPORT - BOLSTERING THE DEMOCRATIC RESILIENCE OF THE ALLIANCE AGAINST DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA

This report was adopted by the Committee on Democracy and Security at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Lisbon. The information crisis surrounding the COVID-19…

2021 - REPORT - CONFRONTING RUSSIA’S CONTINUING GEOPOLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL CHALLENGE

This report was adopted by the Political Committee at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Lisbon. Relations between Russia and West are currently at a new post-Soviet…

RESOLUTION 471 - REAFFIRMING TRANSATLANTIC COHESION AND IMPLEMENTING 2021 NATO BRUSSELS SUMMIT DECISIONS

This resolution was presented by the Political Committee and adopted by the Plenary Assembly on Monday 11 October 2021.

RESOLUTION 470 - MAINTAINING NATO’S FOCUS ON THE RUSSIAN CHALLENGE

This resolution was presented by the Political Committee and adopted by the Plenary Assembly in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday 11 October 2021.

RESOLUTION 466 - DEVELOPING A WHOLE-OF-SOCIETY, INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED APPROACH TO RESILIENCE FOR ALLIED DEMOCRACIES

This resolution was presented by the Committee on Democracy and Security and adopted by the Plenary Assembly in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday 11 October 2021.

2021 - REPORT - ENHANCING THE RESILIENCE OF ALLIED SOCIETIES THROUGH CIVIL PREPAREDNESS

This report was adopted by the Committee on Democracy and Security on 9 October 2021, at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Lisbon, Portugal. For Allied societies,…

2021 - JOINT MISSION REPORT ESC & PC - POLAND 12-13 APRIL

2021 - mission report cds - estonia 22 april 2021, 2021 - summary of the meeting of the political committee - 14 may 2021, 2021 - summary of the meeting of the committee on democracy and security - online spring session - 15 may 2021, 2020 - summary covid-19 special meeting - 66th online annual session, 2020 - pc meeting summary 66th online annual session, 2020 - cds meeting summary 66th online annual session, 2020 - nato pa policy recommendations, 2020 - resolution 464 - a transatlantic strategy on china, 2020 - resolution 461 - furthering the implementation of unsc reso 1325 and the wps agenda, 2020 - report - the impact of the covid-19 crisis on the civil dimension of security.

The COVID-19 crisis has a significant short- and long-term impact on many aspects of the civilian dimension of security. This special report firstly examines the link between repressive policies and the aggravation of the health crisis. It shows that human rights…

2020 - GENERAL REPORT - THE RISE OF CHINA: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL AND EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY

The rapid rise of the People’s Republic of China in the last part of the 20th century and early decades of the 21st century represents a paradigm shift in global affairs comparable in magnitude to the collapse of the Soviet Union. …

2020 - GENERAL REPORT - ADVANCING THE WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY AGENDA

As 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the unanimous adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), this draft general report takes stock of the progress achieved in advancing the implementation of the resolution in the…

2020 - REPORT - COVID-19 AND TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY

“A global pandemic is not a question of if, but when and how bad”. Variations of this statement have over the years been repeated by countless health experts, yet when in late 2019 a novel coronavirus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, much of the world found…

2020 - REPORT - ENHANCING INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ABOUT NATO

Informing and educating the public about NATO, its structures, operations, objectives and the threats it protects the Euro-Atlantic populations from are essential to ensure understanding of and support for the organisation. Given the Alliance’s democratic nature and…

2020 - REPORT - SECURITY AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS IN THE GULF

As the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession are transforming the global security landscape, the Gulf region finds itself in a particularly vulnerable situation. The region’s volatile security environment was already of significant concern to the Allies and the…

2020 - REPORT - CHINA AND THE GLOBAL LIBERAL ORDER

The contemporary global liberal order, established in the aftermath of World War II, and the values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and rule of law that underpin it have formed the foundation of the Alliance since its creation. Using its expanding…

2020 - REPORT - THE NATO-EU PARTNERSHIP IN A CHANGING GLOBAL CONTEXT

The relationship between NATO and the European Union (EU) – arguably the two most powerful multilateral bodies in modern history – is a recurring theme in international political debates, not only in Europe but also in NATO. Indeed, some members of the latter – not…

2020 - PC ONLINE MEETING SUMMARY - AUGUST

2020 - cds online meeting summary - september, 2020 - cds online meeting summary july, 2020 - pc online meeting summary - july, 2019 - annual presidential report, 2019 - mission report cdsdg/dsctc - sweden and iceland 6-10 may 2019, 2019 - mission report pctr/escter washington and seattle - 10-14 june 2019, 2019 - mission report pcnp esctd visit to addis ababa, ethiopia - 209 joint 19 e.

Obtaining insights in Africa’s security dynamics related to the evolving security landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was the main focus of a NATO PA visit to Addis Ababa from 23 to 25 September 2019. The current state of cooperation between…

2019 - CDS MEETING SUMMARY - LONDON 2019

2019 - pc summary - london 2019, 2019 - resolution 457 - nato @ 70: celebrating 70 years of peace and security through unity, 2019 - resolution 458 - tackling security challenges from africa, 2019 - resolution 454 - commitment to nato’s founding principles and values, 2019 - ukraine: five years after the revolution of dignity.

Five years after the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine still faces tremendous challenges both in protecting its sovereignty in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression and in fulfilling its commitments towards reform. It is clear that there is frustration and…

2019 - NATO-RUSSIA RELATIONS - A SNAPSHOT

This PCNP report was adopted on Sunday 13 October 2019 by the Political Committee at the 65th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, United Kingdom. …

2019 - PC SUMMARY BRATISLAVA - SPRING SESSION

2019 - report - security and stability in africa - challenges and opportunities for nato.

This PC General report was adopted on Saturday 12 October 2019 by the Political Committee at the 65th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, United Kingdom. Recent General Reports of the…

2019 - NATO @ 70: REAFFIRMING THE ALLIANCE'S VALUES

This CDS general report was adopted on Saturday 12 October 2019 by the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security at the 65th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, United Kingdom. …

2019 - BORDER SECURITY

This CDS Special report was adopted on Saturday 12 October 2019 by the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security at the 65th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, United Kingdom. …

2019 - NATO@70: WHY THE ALLIANCE REMAINS INDISPENSABLE

This Sub-Committee report was adopted on Saturday 12 October 2019 by the Political Committee at the 65th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, United Kingdom. For the past 70 years, the…

2019 - CDS SUMMARY BRATISLAVA - SPRING SESSION

2019 - mission report cdsdg/pctr visit to athens, 2019 - mission report escter pcnp - germany 18-21 march, 2018 - cds committee meeting summary, halifax - 243 cds 18 e, 2018 - pc meeting summary halifax - 251 pc 18 e, 2018 - mission report pctr visit to korea, 2018 - resolution 451 - tackling the challenges from the south - pc, 2018 - resolution 446 - security and cooperation in the high north - cds, 2018 - resolution 445 - updating the responses to russia’s hybrid tactics - cds, 2018 - the role of parliaments in nato member countries in advancing the women, peace and security agenda.

Joint NATO PA / DCAF survey United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) encourages member states and international organisations to involve women and integrate a gender perspective in national and multilateral security initiatives such as…

2018 - SECURITY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS - 178 PCNP 18 E rev1 fin

The report provides a brief overview of the security environment in the Western Balkans. It argues that NATO and the European Union need to remain engaged to encourage the countries of the region to continue their reform process, providing assistance when necessary…

2018 - MISSION REPORT PC BOSTON AND NEW YORK

2018 - civil protection in the high north and in the mediterranean.

18 November 2018 - Civil protection occupies an important place in NATO’s comprehensive approach to security. This report will focus on two regions where this aspect of security has become particularly acute in recent years: the High North and the Mediterranean.In the…

2018 - NORTH KOREA'S CHALLENGE TO INTERNATIONAL SECURITY - 179 PCTR 18 E fin

This report discusses the challenges posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) - commonly known as North Korea- to regional and international security. It begins with a review of North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear weapons…

2018 - FOSTERING DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE BLACK SEA REGION

24 September 2018 - Human rights watchdogs indicate that democracy around the world deteriorated to the lowest point in more than a decade. For the Alliance, an organisation underpinned by liberal democratic values, this erosion has severe consequences. The report…

2018 - COUNTERING RUSSIA'S HYBRID THREATS

18 November 2018 - “Hybrid warfare” became a buzzword in the international political discourse following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. This report focuses specifically on the Kremlin’s use of hybrid tactics because the…

2018 - INSTABILITY IN THE SOUTH - 177 PC 18 E rev. 1 fin

This report reviews the main security challenges in NATO’s southern neighbourhood and their impact on NATO Allies. After providing a brief update on recent developments in Syria and Iraq, the report analyses the key drivers promoting instability in North Africa. To…

2018 - SUMMARY - CDS MEETING WARSAW, POLAND - 2018 SPRING SESSION

Saturday 26 May 2018 [ 24 CDS 18 E]

2018 - PC SUMMARY WARSAW - 128 PC 18 E

2018 - mission report riyadh saudi arabia - 111 pcnp 18 e, 2018 - mission report - joint cds/gsm visit to doha, qatar.

18 April 2018 - Qatar is a small country roughly the size of Montenegro. 2.7 million people live in the country, of which only 12% are Qatari citizens. The country has the highest per capita GDP in the world and is the world’s third largest gas producer and third…

2018 - JOINT UNIC ESCTD PCNP SEMINAR REPORT, ODESA, UKRAINE

Iryna GERASHCHENKO, co-chairperson of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC) welcomed the delegates to Odesa and noted that the President of the Parliament had just presented a national security bill to the Rada. A number of allied countries helped with that…

2018 - MISSION REPORT ESCTER PCNP VISIT TO JAPAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Japan will support the efforts by US President Donald Trump to negotiate a denuclearisation of North Korea but will continue to pursue a cautious approach toward the regime of the Democratic People’s Republic of…

2018 - MISSION REPORT - JOINT CDSDG/STCTTS VISIT TO NORWAY

5 June 2018 - Members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance (CDSCG) and Sub-Committee on Technology Trends and Security (STCTTS) paid a visit to Norway from 7 to 9 May 2018. The delegation consisted of 30 members of parliament from 17 NATO…

2018 - MISSION CDSDG-DSCTC- HUNGARY AND CZECH REPUBLIC

Mission report cds pc - kuwait - 262 joint 17 e, joint pctr/cds mission report - philadelphia and carlisle, united states - 261 joint 17 e, 2017 - summary bucharest - 242 pc 17 e, 2017 - cds meeting summary annual session bucharest, 2017 - challenges from the south - miranda calha report -171 pcnp 17 e bis.

Report Title: Tackling the Challenges from the South Rapporteur: Julio MIRANDA CALHA (Portugal)Year: 2017 Violent conflict and instability, particularly in Syria and Iraq, continue to destabilise the Middle East and North Africa (…

2017 - SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTION - CORDY REPORT- 158 CDSDG 17 E bis

Report Title: Social Media Revolution: Political and Security Implications Rapporteur: Jane CORDY (Canada)Year: 2017 The rise of social media is one of the most recent and far-reaching manifestations of the digital computing and communication…

2017 - RUSSIA - JUKNEVICIENE REPORT - 170 PC 17 E rev1 fin

Report Title: Russia – From Partner to CompetitorRapporteur: Rasa JUKNEVICIENE (Lithuania/Lituanie)Year: 2017 NATO-Russia relations are currently at their lowest since the end of the Cold War. Moscow’s provocative stance and actions towards NATO, and…

2017 - BLACK SEA - SCHMIDT REPORT - 159 CDS 17 E rev1 fin

Report Title: Advancing stability in the Black Sea Region Rapporteur: Ulla SCHMIDT (Germany)Year: 2017 Once on the periphery of European consciousness, in recent years the Black Sea region reappeared on policymakers’ radar. Regional geopolitics are…

2017 - THE WAR IN SYRIA AND IRAQ - GARRIAUD MAYLAM REPORT -157 CDS 17 E bis

Report Title: The War in Syria and Iraq: Humanitarian AspectsRapporteur: Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM (France) Year: 2017The…

2017 - BURDEN SHARING REVISITED - KALNINS REPORT - 210 PC 17 E bis

Report Title: Burden sharing revisitedRapporteur: Ojars Eriks KALNINS (Latvia) Year: 2017 Since its founding, NATO has served as a transatlantic forum for political dialogue and consultation to define common political positions and adopt diplomatic…

2017 - NATO AND SECURITY IN THE ARCTIC - CONNOLLY REPORT -172 PCTR 17 E rev1 fin

Report Title: NATO and Security in the ArcticRapporteur: Gerald E. CONNOLLY (United States)Year: 2017 The Arctic region, or High North, ranked top of the security agenda during the Cold War due to its strategic importance. Its significance was largely…

2017 - 141 PC 17 E - SUMMARY TBILISI

2017 - cds committee meeting summary, tbilisi, 2017 - mission report - cds/pc visit to the united kingdom.

During the four-day visit to London and York, NATO Parliamentarians received briefings on, inter alia, the challenge posed by Daesh, instability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, counter-terrorism, as well as UK civil protection and emergency relief…

2017 - SEMINAR REPORT SVALBARD

2017 - 096 pcnp 17 e - mission report baltics, 2016 - rose-roth seminar report kyiv, ukraine - unic - pcnp - esctd - 137 joint 16 e.

92nd ROSE ROTH SEMINAR REPORT UKRAINE’S TRANSFORMATION IN A TROUBLED REGIONAL CONTEXT…

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The Concept of “Harmony” in Chinese Foreign Policy

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South Korean President Yoon makes surprise visit to Ukraine, pledges to expand support

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday, offering support for the invaded country in its war with Russia while demonstrating his own nation’s cooperation with NATO.

Yoon’s office said he traveled to Ukraine with his wife, Kim Keon Hee, following trips to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It’s his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Yoon toured Bucha and Irpin, two small cities near Kyiv where bodies of civilians were found in the streets and mass graves after Russian troops retreated from the capital region last year. He laid flowers at a monument to the country’s war dead, before he sat down for a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

South Korea, a key U.S. ally in Asia, joined international sanctions against Russia and has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine. But the Asian nation, a growing arms exporter, hasn’t provided weapons to Ukraine in line with its long-standing policy of not supplying arms to countries actively engaged in conflict.

During a joint news conference with Zelenskyy later Saturday, Yoon announced plans to expand support shipments to Ukraine but didn’t touch upon weapons supplies.

Yoon began his statement with a mention of the U.N. forces’ support of South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War that helped repel a North Korean invasion.

“The current situation facing Ukraine reminds us of the past situation of the Republic of Korea,” Yoon said.

Zelenskyy thanked Seoul for its “firm support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and the “significant political, security, economic and humanitarian aid” it has supplied since the start of Russia’s invasion.

Yoon said that South Korea will increase the shipments of nonlethal military items such as body armor and helmets this year. He said that South Korea will also provide humanitarian aid worth $150 million this year, up from $100 million last year. He said that South Korea has also sent the de-mining equipment and other aid items that had been requested by Ukraine.

Yoon said that he and Zelenskyy agreed on cooperating on post-war reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. Yoon said South Korea will also launch a scholarship fund named after him and Zelenskyy to expand support for Ukrainian students in South Korea.

South Korea isn’t a NATO member, but like Japan, Pakistan and a handful of other countries, it’s considered a global partner of the military alliance. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Ukraine in March.

In his recent written responses to questions from The Associated Press, Yoon said that the security of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is closely intertwined, saying: “In particular, the war in Ukraine has reminded us all that a security crisis in one particular region can have a global impact.”

Yoon took office last year amid a mix of tough foreign policy challenges such as North Korea’s advancing nuclear program and the intensifying rivalry between the U.S., South Korea’s main security ally, and China, its biggest trading partner.

During a January visit to South Korea, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for the country to provide direct military support to Ukraine, saying Kyiv was in urgent need of weapons to fight off the prolonged Russian invasion.

In May, when Yoon met Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska in Seoul, the president said he would expand South Korea’s nonlethal aid to Ukraine. Yoon’s office said at the time that Zelenska made no request for South Korean weapons supplies.

READ MORE: South Korea’s president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine’s first lady

Later in May, Yoon and Zelenskyy met for the first time on the sidelines of a Group of Seven industrialized nations summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Zelensky thanked South Korea for its humanitarian shipments of medicines, computers and generators and requested additional provisions of non-lethal items, Yoon’s office said.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has reached billions of dollars worth of deals to provide tanks, howitzers, fighter jets and other weapons systems to NATO member Poland.

An American official said in November that the United States had agreed to buy 100,000 artillery rounds from South Korean manufacturers to provide to Ukraine, although South Korean officials have maintained that the munitions were meant to refill depleted U.S. stocks.

“Yoon’s visit to Ukraine reflects his globally-minded foreign policy and shows South Korean solidarity with NATO partners in defending the rules-based international order,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “Seoul’s support of Ukraine includes not only humanitarian assistance, but also arms sales to backfill NATO countries providing military aid to Kyiv, and plans for post-conflict reconstruction of infrastructure.”

Yoon and his wife’s visit came two days after Russia launched another barrage of Iranian-made drones at the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials said their air defenses intercepted the drones but that wreckage fell on four districts of the capital, wounding two people and destroying several homes.

Although Kyiv didn’t come under attack in the hours before the South Korean president’s arrival, Ukrainian forces on Friday and overnight downed 10 Russian drones across the country, the Ukrainian air force reported Saturday.

READ MORE: Ukraine repels large Russian missile and drone barrage over Kyiv

In a Telegram post, the air force added that Moscow fired six Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine’s south and east during the night, four of which were shot down. It did not immediately give details of any casualties or damage.

In southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province, where Ukraine has been engaged in a counteroffensive to take back occupied territory, there were 45 air and artillery attacks between Friday and Saturday, Gov. Yurii Malashka reported.

Russian forces shelled neighboring Kherson province 70 times over the same period, using mortars, artillery, drones, tanks, aviation and multiple rocket launchers, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Saturday. No civilians were wounded, he said.

Russian shelling over the past day killed one civilian in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko reported Saturday. Ukrainain forces have been pressing their counteroffensive in the area, inching their way from Velyka Novosilka down toward the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, said Saturday that a group of neo-Nazis was arrested in connection with a Ukrainian plot to kill Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the state-funded RT international television channel, and journalist and celebrity Ksenia Sobchak.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion, he vowed to “denazify” Ukraine, alleging that radical neo-Nazi groups dominate the country led by a Jewish president. Kyiv and its Western allies dismissed his assertion as a bogus cover for an unprovoked act of aggression.

The FSB, which is the main successor to the KGB, didn’t say how many people were arrested, but Russian news media later said seven suspects had been put in detention by a Moscow court.

The FSB said that the plot was organized at the direction of Ukraine’s SBU security agency. But the FSB didn’t provide any evidence of that, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Russia previously has charged Ukrainian authorities were behind the killings of nationalist television commentator Daria Dugina and popular pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Also Saturday, Russia’s defense ministry said it had completed its planned spring call-up of 147,000 military conscripts, 12,500 more than in the previous year’s draft.

Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Joanna Kozlowska in London and Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

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The two theories behind Putin's North Korea visit - and why South Korea will be particularly concerned

If the US president is seen as the leader of the free world, it feels like Vladimir Putin is being heralded in North Korea as the leader of the sanctioned world. The West is right to be alarmed by what these closer ties could mean.

Moscow correspondent @IvorBennett

Wednesday 19 June 2024 14:35, UK

There are two schools of thought regarding why Vladimir Putin is in North Korea.

One is that Russia doesn't really have any other options right now. Its ongoing invasion of Ukraine has left it isolated from the West, and forced to pivot east.

The visit to Pyongyang - the capital of the world's most isolated state - is a reflection of Moscow's desperation, some say.

The opposing view is that Russia does, in fact, have a lot of options right now.

They're talking to Cuba, to China, even the Taliban. So, others believe this is a calculated move to show what's possible when the West, in Russia's eyes, oversteps the mark.

Ukraine war latest: Putin and Kim sign new defence deal

"Putin is angry," according to Chris Monday, an associate professor at South Korea's Dongseo University, in reference to NATO allies, including the UK, giving Ukraine permission to use their weapons to strike inside Russia.

"He feels, from his perspective, that the West has crossed many red lines and he wants to put his foot down."

Either way, whether Russia's leader is going cap-in-hand or shaking his fist, the West will be alarmed at what these closer ties could mean.

There's an assumption in Washington that North Korea is already sending Russia ammunition to use in Ukraine, and there's a concern, articulated by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, that trade will increase.

Beyond that, there's also a fear about what North Korea will get in return - could Moscow pass on aid for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes?

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Vladimir Putin introduces Kim Jong Un to his entourage

Both sides deny this, but one could argue the agreement they signed today sends the opposite signal.

The so-called "comprehensive strategic partnership pact" includes a mutual defence clause, in case of "aggression", as Putin put it, against either party.

He also said Russia doesn't rule out the "development" of military-technical cooperation between the two. Ominous words for the West, and South Korea especially.

"People are very concerned here," said Mr Monday.

"There's more and more talk, for example, of developing a South Korean nuclear weapon.

"A year ago, it seemed an impossibility, but now this is something people talk about."

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

This isn't how the visit is being talked about on Russian state media, of course. The main talking point has been Vladimir Putin's warm reception.

Read more: Sir Rod Stewart defends support for Ukraine Significant support for Ukraine at peace summit

"Putin has never been met like this before," gushed one tabloid headline.

"For the sake of meeting Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], they gathered almost half of the capital," the article continued.

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It certainly looked like that - crowds of apparently jubilant North Koreans, waving Russian flags in front of a giant portrait of their guest.

If the US president is seen as the leader of the free world, it feels like Vladimir Putin is being heralded here as the leader of the sanctioned world.

North Korea fires two missiles after end of joint drills by U.S., South Korea and Japan

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea test-fired two ballistic missiles Monday but one of them possibly flew abnormally, South Korea’s military said, a day after the North vowed “offensive and overwhelming” responses to a new U.S. military drill with South Korea and Japan .

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missiles were launched 10 minutes apart in a northeasterly direction from the town of Jangyon in southeastern North Korea.

It said the first missile flew 370 miles and the second missile 75 miles, but did not say where they landed. North Korea typically test-fires missiles toward its eastern waters, but the second missile’s flight distance was too short to reach those waters.

Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon later told a briefing that the second missile suffered a possible abnormal flight during the initial stage of its flight. He said if the missile exploded, its debris would most likely have scattered on the ground though no damages were immediately reported. Lee said additional analysis of the second missile launch was underway.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the North’s launches as a provocation that poses a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula. It said South Korea maintains a firm readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea in conjunction with the United States.

The launches came two days after South Korea, the U.S. and Japan ended their new multidomain trilateral drills in the region. In recent years, the three countries have been expanding their trilateral security partnership to better cope with North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats and China ’s increasing assertiveness in the region.

The “Freedom Edge” drill was meant to increase the sophistication of previous exercises with simultaneous air and naval drills geared toward improving joint ballistic-missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and other skills and capabilities. The three-day drill involved a U.S. aircraft carrier as well as destroyers, fighter jets and helicopters from the three countries.

On Sunday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement strongly denouncing the “Freedom Edge” drill, calling the U.S.-South Korea-Japan partnership an Asian version of NATO. It said the drill openly destroyed the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and contained a U.S. intention to lay siege to China and exert pressure on Russia.

The statement said North Korea will “firmly defend the sovereignty, security and interests of the state and peace in the region through offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.”

Monday’s launches were the North’s first weapons firing in five days. On Wednesday, North Korea launched what it called a multiwarhead missile in the first known test of a developmental, advanced weapon meant to defeat U.S. and South Korean missile defenses. North Korea said the launch was successful , but South Korea dismissed the North’s claim as deception to cover up a failed launch.

In recent weeks, North Korea has floated numerous trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea in what it has described as a tit-for-tat response to South Korean activists sending political leaflets via their own balloons. Last month, North Korea and Russia also struck a deal vowing mutual defense assistance if either is attacked, a major defense pact that raised worries it could embolden North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to launch more provocations at South Korea.

Meanwhile, North Korea opened a key ruling party meeting Friday to determine what it called “important, immediate issues” related to works to further enhance Korean-style socialism. Observers said the meeting was continuing Monday.

The Associated Press

North Korea says US, South Korea and Japan developing ‘Asian NATO’

The claim comes after Washington, Seoul and Tokyo began joint military exercises on Thursday.

North Korea has criticised a joint military exercise by the United States, South Korea and Japan, saying such drills show the relationship among the three countries has developed into “the Asian version of NATO”, state media reported.

“We strongly denounce… provocative military muscle-flexing against the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea],” Pyongyang’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency on Sunday.

Keep reading

South korea fires warning shots as north korean soldiers cross border again, ‘axis of impunity’: how putin-kim deal could challenge existing world order, north korea says it conducted successful test of multiwarhead missile.

“The US-Japan-ROK [South Korea] relations have taken on the full-fledged appearance of an Asian-version NATO,” it said, warning of “fatal consequences”.

“The DPRK will never overlook the moves of the US and its followers to strengthen the military bloc.”

On Thursday, the US, Japan and South Korea began large-scale joint military drills called “Freedom Edge” involving navy destroyers, fighter jets and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at boosting defences against missiles, submarines and air attacks.

The exercise was devised at a three-way summit at Camp David in the US last year to strengthen military cooperation amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula stemming from North Korea’s weapons testing.

North Korea has long condemned joint drills between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul.

On Sunday, South Korea rejected North Korea’s accusations and said that the latest exercises are a continuation of defensive drills held regularly for years among the three allies.

“It is absurd that North Korea, the primary source of tension on the Korean peninsula, criticises the Freedom Edge exercise by labelling it as an ‘Asian NATO’,” the South Korean Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

Seoul has also said it will review the possibility of supplying arms directly to Ukraine, in protest against a recent mutual defence pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

South Korea and the US have also accused the North of supplying weapons to Russia that are being used in its war in Ukraine.

Both Russia and North Korea have denied any such transactions.

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Putin Threatens to Arm North Korea, Escalating Tension With West Over Ukraine

The Russian leader issued the warning at the end of a trip to Asia, during which he signed a mutual defense pact with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

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Giant portraits of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, hang on a wall decorated with the symbols and colors of the North Korean flag as two guards stand below.

By Paul Sonne

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia directly warned the United States and its allies that he is willing to arm North Korea if they continue to supply Kyiv with sophisticated weapons that have struck Russian territory, raising the stakes for the Western powers backing Ukraine.

Mr. Putin made the threat in comments to reporters traveling with him late Thursday in Vietnam before he flew home to Russia after a trip there and to North Korea. He had made a similar, though significantly less overt, threat a day earlier in Pyongyang, where he revived a Cold War-era mutual defense pact with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. The pact requires each nation to provide military assistance to the other “with all means at its disposal” in the event of an attack.

Mr. Putin cast his threat to arm Pyongyang, in violation of United Nations sanctions, as a response to decisions by the United States and its allies in recent months to allow Ukraine to make certain strikes on Russian territory with their weapons . The White House made that decision last month, but maintained its prohibition on longer-range attacks deeper in the country with U.S. arms.

“Those who supply these weapons believe that they are not at war with us,” Mr. Putin said. “Well, as I said, including in Pyongyang, then we reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world.”

“And where will they go next?” Mr. Putin asked of the weapons, suggesting that North Korea could then sell the Russian arms to other rogue actors hostile to the United States and its allies around the world.

Though Mr. Putin didn’t say what weapons he would give to North Korea, Mr. Kim is seeking to advance his nuclear warheads, missiles, submarines and satellites — all areas where Russia possesses some of the most sophisticated and dangerous technology in the world.

The Russian leader’s visit to Pyongyang underscored how the war in Ukraine has become the guiding principle of his foreign policy, overtaking other priorities that the Kremlin had pursued for years. Washington and Seoul say North Korea has sent dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 shipping containers of munitions to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, helping Mr. Putin overcome ammunition shortages. Both Russia and North Korea have denied any exchange of arms, which would violate the U.N. sanctions.

For years, Russia participated in efforts at the United Nations to constrain Mr. Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program, approving resolution after resolution at the Security Council intended to limit his regime’s access to arms, technology and resources. The restrictions were brought in as North Korea conducted six nuclear tests and developed an intercontinental ballistic missile program.

But now Mr. Putin has dramatically changed course , advocating the end of the very sanctions he approved, driven by his desire to raise the cost to the United States of supporting Ukraine and Russia’s need for North Korea’s vast stores of conventional ammunition and weaponry to use on the battlefield.

“Here the Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say that ‘we don’t control anything here at all, and it doesn’t matter how they are used,’” Mr. Putin said. “We can also say that we delivered something to someone, and then we have no control over anything. Let them think about that.”

His revival of the Cold War-era mutual defense pledge with North Korea, and his suggestion that he may arm Mr. Kim’s regime, stoked fears in South Korea and Japan , which house tens of thousands of American troops on U.S. bases.

South Korean officials said they would consider providing lethal assistance to Ukraine in response. Mr. Putin warned them against such a decision in his remarks Thursday before leaving the region.

“This would be a very big mistake,” Mr. Putin said. “I hope this doesn’t happen. If this happens, we will also take appropriate measures, which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.”

He said the mutual defense pact shouldn’t worry South Korea, because it calls for Russia’s military intervention only in the event of aggression against North Korea, and as far as he knew, he said, Seoul had no intention of carrying out such an attack.

The Russian leader, who has made criticizing the “strangulation of sanctions” a centerpiece of his international messaging, compared the restrictions on North Korea to the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis during World War II, which caused the death of his older brother, who was then a year old.

Mr. Putin reiterated in his comments Thursday that those sanctions should be re-evaluated, in particular questioning those related to labor migration, saying that North Korean families were unable to earn money and feed their children.

“Does this remind you of anything?” Mr. Putin said, referring to World War II. “And is this humane?”

Mr. Putin’s trip to Pyongyang came days after he issued new demands to end the war in Ukraine. He said he would agree to a cease-fire and enter talks if Kyiv withdrew troops from the four eastern Ukrainian regions Moscow has claimed as its own and dropped its aspirations to join NATO. Russia hasn’t held the full territory of those regions at any point during the war.

Ukraine and its Western allies immediately rejected the proposal as a demand of capitulation and additional Ukrainian land, rather than an honest overture for negotiations.

In the days since, the Russian leader and his top lieutenants have urged the West to take the offer seriously and tried to amp up the pressure, warning of worse terms to come and more catastrophic conditions on the battlefield.

The Russian leader also claimed Moscow was considering changing its nuclear doctrine in response to new devices being developed by the West that lower the threshold for nuclear use. Russia possesses the world’s biggest arsenal of so-called tactical nuclear weapons, which have lower yields and can be used in more limited battlefield scenarios.

Mr. Putin ordered his troops to practice using such weapons earlier this year in response to Britain’s announcement that Ukraine could use its weapons to strike Russia and to suggestions by President Emmanuel Macron of France that Western nations might put troops on the ground in Ukraine.

The Kremlin leader has regularly warned his Western foes against pursuing Moscow’s “strategic defeat” through a loss in the war against Ukraine — a message he reiterated on Thursday.

“This means the end of the 1,000-year history of the Russian state,” he said. “I think this is clear to everyone. And then the question arises: Why should we be afraid? Isn’t it better to go all the way?”

Paul Sonne is an international correspondent, focusing on Russia and the varied impacts of President Vladimir V. Putin’s domestic and foreign policies, with a focus on the war against Ukraine. More about Paul Sonne

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

U.S. officials raised the security alert level at military bases in Europe in response to vague threats from the Kremlin over Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons on Russian territory.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, one of the few European leaders who maintains warm relations with Moscow, arrived in Ukraine for his first wartime visit to the nation .

Ukraine’s security service said that it had foiled yet another Russian plot to stir public unrest and then use the ensuing turmoil to topple the government.

Evading Conscription: Fearful of a one-way ticket to bloody trench warfare, some Ukrainian men are spending their days holed up at home to avoid draft officers who roam the streets.

Inside Russia’s Chechen Units: After hundreds of years of enmity with Russia, Chechens are deploying to Ukraine to fight Moscow’s war .

Narrowing Press Freedoms: Journalists in Ukraine say they are subject to increasing restrictions and pressure from the government , adding that the measures go beyond wartime security needs.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

Relations with the Republic of Korea

Last updated: 03 Jun. 2024 14:57

NATO and the Republic of Korea work together bilaterally on a number of shared security challenges, which include cyber defence, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. They also cooperate as part of NATO’s broader relations with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The Republic of Korea and NATO are committed to enhancing political dialogue and practical cooperation in order to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international order.

NATO Relations with the Republic of Korea

NATO and the Republic of Korea have been engaged in dialogue and cooperation since 2005.
From 2012, cooperation between NATO and the Republic of Korea was taken forward through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme. Currently, the cooperation is guided by an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme that NATO and the Republic of Korea agreed in July 2023.
In November 2022, the Republic of Korea established a Diplomatic Mission to NATO, enhancing opportunities for political dialogue with the Alliance.
Political dialogue and practical cooperation are being developed across priority areas, including non-proliferation, cyber defence, science and technology, counter-terrorism, interoperability, and defence against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents.
The Republic of Korea is one of NATO’s partners in the Indo-Pacific region, together with Australia, Japan and New Zealand. The Indo-Pacific region is important for the Alliance, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security.

Key areas of cooperation

The Republic of Korea’s cooperation with NATO is mutually beneficial and covers many common security challenges, including:

Cyber defence: Since 2021, the Republic of Korea has participated in NATO’s annual cyber defence exercise Locked Shields. It also works together with the Alliance at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia and is a participant in NATO’s Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), a threat-sharing defence initiative.
New technologies: NATO and the Republic of Korea are enhancing their cooperation in the area of emerging and disruptive technologies through the country’s participation in NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme , focusing on activities in the fields of advanced technologies, counter-terrorism, and defence against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents. Scientists in the Republic of Korea participated in DEXTER (short for Detection of EXplosives and firearms to counter TERrorism), a key SPS project that aimed to develop an integrated and affordable sensor-fusion system able to detect explosives and firearms in public places without disrupting the flow of pedestrians. Through other ongoing multi-year SPS projects, experts from the Republic of Korea are developing highly sensitive sensors for the detection of pathogens and nerve agents, and are working on the creation of passive bio-inspired atmospheric floating vehicles (used in swarm), to be used for the characterisation of hazardous emissions from human-made or natural catastrophes.
Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation: NATO and the Republic of Korea cooperate in the area of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation , including the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The Allies fully support the goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Allies have repeatedly expressed their strong condemnation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) provocative rhetoric and actions, including nuclear activity and ballistic missile tests that violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, which pose a serious threat to regional and international peace, security and stability. The Republic of Korea has also participated regularly in NATO’s Annual Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation.
Interoperability: Since 2014, under the Partnership Interoperability Initiative , the Republic of Korea has been participating in the Interoperability Platform, which brings Allies together with selected partners that are active contributors to NATO’s operations. The Republic of Korea is interested in improving mutual understanding and interoperability through exchanges of civilian and military personnel, participation in education, joint training and exercises, and cooperation in the field of standardization and logistics.

Political dialogue

At the 2021 NATO Summit in Brussels, Allies agreed to increase dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and existing partners, including the Republic of Korea as one of the partners in the Indo-Pacific region . This commitment was reiterated in the NATO 2022 Strategic Concept , the Alliance’s core policy document. Cooperation with partners in this region is key to addressing the increasingly complex global security environment, including Russia’s war on Ukraine, the shift in the global balance of power and the rise of China, and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
In June 2022, the President of the Republic of Korea participated in the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, together with the Leaders of other partners from the Indo-Pacific region (Australia, Japan and New Zealand). This was the first-ever participation of the Republic of Korea in a NATO summit. In July 2023, the country participated in its second meeting at the level of Heads of State and Government, at the 2023 Vilnius Summit.
In April 2022 and April 2023, the Republic of Korea participated in NATO Foreign Ministers’ meetings. This followed the country’s first-ever participation in a NATO ministerial meeting, in December 2020.
The Republic of Korea also regularly participates in meetings at NATO Headquarters between NATO Allies and the four partners in the Indo-Pacific region at the level of Ambassadors. Recent meetings have focused on climate change and security, arms control, and maritime security.

Support for NATO-led operations and missions

From 2010 to 2013, as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea led an integrated civilian-military Provincial Reconstruction Team of some 470 personnel in Parwan Province, which helped build the capacity of the provincial government in the areas of health, education, rural development and governance. The Republic of Korea also contributed a total of USD 319 million to the NATO-run Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund . In 2020, the Republic of Korea served as the ANA Trust Fund’s co-chair.
Cooperating with NATO in countering the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the naval forces of the Republic of Korea also provided escorts to merchant vessels passing through the waters off the Horn of Africa.

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North Korea Calls South Korea, US and Japan 'Asian Version of NATO'

FILE PHOTO: A nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arriving in the South Korean port city of Busan earlier this month to take part in joint military exercises with the host nation and Japan/File Photo

By Hyunsu Yim and Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held this month, state media said on Sunday, saying such drills show the relationship among three countries has developed into "the Asian version of NATO".

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale joint military drills called "Freedom Edge" involving navy destroyers, fighter jets and the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at boosting defences against missiles, submarines and air attacks.

The exercise was devised at the three-way summit at Camp David last year to strengthen military cooperation amid tensions on the Korean peninsula stemming from North Korea's weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not ignore the strengthening of a military bloc led by the U.S. and its allies and will protect regional peace with an aggressive and overwhelming response, North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement, according to KCNA news agency.

The ministry also said Washington was continuing its effort to link up South Korea and Japan to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), adding South Korea's attempts to supply weapons to Ukraine is one example of that effort.

Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement that the "Freedom Edge" exercise was in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile program while dismissing Pyongyang's criticism.

South Korea said it would review the possibility of supplying arms directly to Ukraine, in protest against a recent mutual defence pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

South Korea and the United States have accused the North of supplying weapons to Russia that are being used in the Ukraine war. Both Russia and North Korea deny any such transactions.

North Korea's ruling party held a meeting over Friday and Saturday presided by Kim, who on the second day addressed "deviations" hampering economic development and laid out the focus for the second half of the year, state media said.

North Korea has long condemned joint drills between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul.

Last year, the U.S., South Korea and Japan staged joint naval missile defence and anti-submarine exercises to improve responses to North Korean threats.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Richard Chang and Christopher Cushing)

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PM Modi to visit Mumbai on July 13, to inaugurate civic projects worth Rs 7,400 crore

Modi will also inaugurate the bmc's proposed rs 1,170 crore project of creating an elevated connector between orange gate and grant road in south mumbai..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Mumbai on July 13 to inaugurate multiple civic infrastructure projects worth Rs 7,470 crore.

According to civic officials, PM Modi will hold a rally at the NESCO center in Goregaon, for which the BMC has started the process of reservation.

Civic officials said that the PM will be inaugurating boring works of the underground tunnel that will be part of the BMC’s ambitious Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. The cost of this project is being pegged at Rs 6,300 crore.

Besides this, Modi will also inaugurate the BMC’s proposed Rs 1,170 crore project of creating an elevated connector between Orange Gate and Grant Road in south Mumbai .

In January last year, PM Modi had inaugurated multiple projects of the BMC, including the mega road concretisation project and sewage treatment plant facilities.

Narendra Modi

The Ambani family hosted a heartwarming mass wedding ceremony for 50 couples at the Reliance Corporate Park as part of the pre-wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. For the same, Nita Ambani wore a stunning red silk Benarasi sari with traditional jewellery, including a Guttapusalu necklace. Know about about her traditional neckpiece here, along with what others wore.

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COMMENTS

Secretary General welcomes NATO's deepening partnership with South Korea
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea to the NATO Summit in Vilnius on Tuesday (11 July 2023). Saying that Russia's war in Ukraine shows how security is not regional but global, Mr Stoltenberg commended South Korea for its support to Ukraine. He also expressed concern about North Korea ...
UPDATE: NATO Secretary General to visit Republic of Korea and Japan
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit the Republic of Korea and Japan from 29 January to 1 February 2023. In Seoul on 29 and 30 January, the Secretary General will meet with Foreign Minister Park Jin, Minister of National Defence Lee Jong-Sup, and other senior officials.
Secretary General stresses value of NATO's global partnerships in visit
Remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the CHEY Institute during his visit to the Republic of Korea 30 Jan. 2023. Topics Relations with the Republic of Korea. Relations with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. News NATO Secretary General addresses students in South Korea: our security is connected 30 Jan. 2023. HIGH-QUALITY B-ROLL
South Korea, NATO to boost partnership on security, cyber threats
South Korea and NATO are expected to agree to expand cooperation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity, which Stoltenberg said highlighted the significance of their ties. Yoon ...
NATO's Stoltenberg in South Korea to deepen ties in Asia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in South Korea on Sunday, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with the U.S. allies in the face of ...
Here's Why Japan and South Korea Are Attending a NATO Summit
June 16, 2022 11:12 PM EDT. A s the military conflict in Ukraine bogs down on a slice of the embattled nation's eastern and southern periphery, the geopolitical shift sparked by Russia's Feb ...
S. Korea, NATO sign new partnership to cooperate in security
By Nam Hyun-woo. VILNIUS ― South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed a new partnership agreement composed of 11 documents, called Individually Tailored Partnership ...
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Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to visit South Korea and Japan from Monday to reinforce the transatlantic security alliance's ties with its key partners in the region and ...
8 NATO representatives to visit S. Korea this week
Their upcoming visit to South Korea, which is not a NATO member state, is considered rare. ... a group of four key Asia-Pacific partner countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) -- South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- pose for a photo with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) at the venue of a NATO summit in ...
S. Korea, NATO establish new partnership for cooperation in 11 areas
VILNIUS, July 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday established a new bilateral partnership for cooperation in 11 areas ranging from antiterrorism and nonproliferation to emerging technologies and cyber defense, the presidential office said.
NATO chief Stoltenberg visits South Korea to deepen ties in ...
Seoul: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in South Korea on Sunday, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with the U.S. allies in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, Stoltenberg met Foreign Minister Park Jin, and was expected to meet President Yoon Suk-yeol and Minister ...
Japan-South Korea Tensions on Display at NATO Summit
A crucial meeting between the leaders of the United States, South Korea, and Japan in Madrid on June 29 was nearly cancelled at the last minute. Just a day before, the South Korean government said ...
South Korea's Yoon heads to NATO summit amid North Korea, China
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to depart on Monday for a summit with NATO leaders, seeking deeper international security cooperation amid rising North Korean threats and tension over ...
South Korea wants closer ties with Western democracies to ...
The younger generation in South Korea no longer has memories of the 1950-1953 Korean war and is increasingly distant from their northern neighbours. Many South Koreans are also concerned about the potentially enormous economic cost of reuniting the two countries with vastly different levels of prosperity, NATO Parliamentarians learned.
South Korea's Important Achievement at the NATO Summit
Image Credit. The NATO Summit in Madrid on June 29-30 was a triumphant emergence on the world stage for South Korea's newly elected President Yoon Suk Yeol. This was the first time that a South Korean president had been invited to a NATO summit, and it showed that South Korea and other Asian democracies are being driven closer to European ...
NATO's Opening up to South Korea and Japan
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), visited South Korea and Japan from January 29 to February 1, 2023, to strengthen the Transatlantic security alliance's ties with key partners in the region. Stoltenberg, who discussed the security issues related to China and North Korea as well as the war in Ukraine, committed to give more support to the ...
As Nato chief visits South Korea and Japan, China will be high on
Thomas said that with South Korea setting up a diplomatic mission to Nato in November, "the country's interest in deeper relations with Nato is more as a hedge against China than as a part of ...
South Korean President Yoon makes surprise visit to Ukraine ...
During a January visit to South Korea, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for the country to provide direct military support to Ukraine, saying Kyiv was in urgent need of weapons to ...
NATO welcomes stronger cooperation with the Republic of Korea
NATO officials welcomed Mr. Kyung-Hyup Kim, Chairman of the Intelligence Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (22 July 2021) for talks on common security challenges and NATO's partnership with Seoul.
The two theories behind Putin's North Korea visit
"Putin is angry," according to Chris Monday, an associate professor at South Korea's Dongseo University, in reference to NATO allies, including the UK, giving Ukraine permission to use their ...
North Korea fires two missiles after end of joint drills by U.S., South
On Sunday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement strongly denouncing the "Freedom Edge" drill, calling the U.S.-South Korea-Japan partnership an Asian version of NATO.
North Korea says US, South Korea and Japan developing 'Asian NATO
North Korea has criticised a joint military exercise by the United States, South Korea and Japan, saying such drills show the relationship among the three countries has developed into "the Asian ...
Putin Threatens to Arm North Korea, Escalating Tension With West Over
The Russian leader issued the warning at the end of a trip to Asia, during which he signed a mutual defense pact with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. By Paul Sonne President Vladimir V. Putin ...
NATO
NATO and the Republic of Korea work together bilaterally on a number of shared security challenges, which include cyber defence, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. They also cooperate as part of NATO's broader relations with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The Republic of Korea and NATO are committed to enhancing political dialogue and practical cooperation in order to uphold ...
Putin threatens to arm North Korea if the West continues to supply
The Russian president has threatened to arm North Korea if Western countries continue providing military aid to Ukraine, as Msocow's new defense pact with Pyongyang sparked a series of ...
North Korea Calls South Korea, US and Japan 'Asian Version of NATO'
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held this month, state media said on Sunday, saying such drills show the relationship ...
PM Modi to visit Mumbai on July 13, to inaugurate civic projects worth
PM Modi to visit Mumbai on July 13, to inaugurate civic projects worth Rs 7,400 crore; PM Modi to visit Mumbai on July 13, to inaugurate civic projects worth Rs 7,400 crore Modi will also inaugurate the BMC's proposed Rs 1,170 crore project of creating an elevated connector between Orange Gate and Grant Road in south Mumbai.