SAEDNEWS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns that US‑led military exercises around the Korean Peninsula endanger stability across Northeast Asia.
According to Saed News, during his visit to North Korea, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned the escalation of joint military drills by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, asserting that these exercises—including nuclear‑capable components—undermine regional peace and security.
Speaking at a press conference in Wonsan on July 13, 2025, Lavrov stated, “The United States, South Korea, and Japan are intensifying joint exercises, some with a nuclear dimension. These actions not only fail to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula but destabilize all of Northeast Asia.” He questioned Seoul’s true intentions regarding normalization with Pyongyang, suggesting that such military posturing contradicts diplomatic overtures.
Lavrov denounced what he called “dangerous efforts by non‑regional actors from the Indo‑Pacific to form exclusive alliances and expand NATO infrastructure in our neighborhood.” He emphasized that no nation should build security “at the expense of others,” adding that both Russia and North Korea remain committed to “equal and indivisible security for all Eurasian peoples.”
This week’s drills saw the deployment of US B‑52H strategic bombers capable of delivering nuclear payloads, alongside South Korean and Japanese forces. In a joint statement, the trio accused Pyongyang of “illegal activities” that “jeopardize the stability of the Korean Peninsula.”
Lavrov highlighted the deepening Moscow–Pyongyang military partnership since their June 2024 defense pact, noting North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russian operations in the Kursk region. He described this cooperation as proof of an “unbreakable brotherhood” between the two nations—underscoring the growing axis challenging Western influence in Asia.
