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The United States aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrives in South Korea in a show of force against North Korea. Photo/REUTERS
SEOUL – A United States (US) aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea (South Korea) on Thursday morning. This was a show of force after Washington suspected North Korea (North Korea) of collaborating with Russia.
This suspicion arose after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un became increasingly close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Washington has warned Pyongyang against supplying weapons to Moscow for its war against Ukraine.
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group have anchored at the port of Busan on South Korea’s southern coast. This is the announcement by the South Korean Ministry of Defense as quoted by AP, Friday (13/10/2023).
The carrier group will stay in Busan until next Monday, following military exercises with South Korea and Japan earlier this week.
The deployment of the carrier strike group is part of a US agreement with South Korea to increase the “routine visibility” of American military assets in the Korean Peninsula region.
Concerns have grown on the US side in recent weeks over North Korea’s efforts to negotiate an arms deal with Russia. Kim Jong-un met with Putin in Russia last month.
Defense analysts believe North Korea wants to exchange shipments of small arms and ammunition—to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—for advanced Russian nuclear and satellite technology.
North Korea has stepped up its missile tests in recent months. In late September, Kim Jong-un called on his country to increase production of nuclear weapons, describing a new “Cold War” with the US.
“North Korea’s policy of building nuclear forces has been made permanent as the basic law of the country, which no one should ignore,” Kim Jong-un said in his recent speech to Parliament.
North Korean state media on Thursday reported Putin and Kim Jong-un exchanged letters this week in celebration of the two countries’ 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
In his message to Putin, Kim said he was “very satisfied” with the “frank and comprehensive exchange of views” during their recent meeting. He also wanted Russia to defeat its policy of imperialist hegemony and its measures to isolate and silence Russia.
Putin told Kim in his message that he was satisfied with relations between the two countries and hoped that relations between the two countries would continue to improve.
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