North Korea responds to Ukraine breaking off diplomatic relations, mentions the US and nuclear weapons
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK (North Korea) issued a statement reacting to Ukraine breaking off diplomatic relations by Ukraine after Pyongyang recognized L/DPR terrorists.
Reuters reported this, referring to the state media of the DPRK.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine had no right to raise sovereignty issues after joining the United States' "unjust, illegal" actions that breached Pyongyang's sovereignty.
North Korea on Wednesday recognized two russian-backed "people's republics" in Ukraine's east as independent states. The move makes North Korea only the third country after russia and Syria to recognize the two pseudo-entities, the Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republics (LPR), in Ukraine's Donbas region.
Ukraine severed relations with North Korea after the move, calling it an attempt to undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
But North Korea defended the decision, saying Ukraine had already aided US-led actions, including sanctions over the North's weapons programs.
North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programs are a self-defensive deterrence and accused the United States of maintaining a "hostile policy" by imposing international sanctions and holding military drills with South Korea.
"Ukraine has no the right to raise an issue or dispute our legitimate exercise of sovereignty after committing an act that severely lacks fairness and justice between nations by actively joining the US unjust and illegal hostile policy in the past," the ministry said.
"We will continue to strengthen and develop friendship and cooperation with all countries that respect our sovereignty and treat us favorably based on the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and mutual respect," the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Reference
On July 13, russian propaganda media, citing the North Korean embassy, reported that the DPRK recognized the so-called independence of the Donbas territories temporarily occupied by Russia.
On June 30, Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Syria in response to the country recognizing the "independence" of Ukraine's territories, temporarily occupied by russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky called Syria's so-called recognition of the DPR and LPR terrorist organizations a "frail story."
Read Rubryka's daily timeline of war: current news on Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression.
