By Hugh Cameron
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North Korea has described the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an "aggressive and belligerent war machine," and said that its actions have laid the groundwork for a "new Cold War."
A statement released by the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday accused the organization of undermining global stability with what it said was a policy of expansion and European armament. This comes during a period of heightened concern about the isolated state, and increasingly aggressive posturing by the country and its leadership.
"All facts clearly show that although NATO is beautifying itself as a defensive alliance to preserve peace, it can never hide its true nature as an aggressive and belligerent war machine, and that NATO is the main culprit in destroying the international security environment and inciting a new cold war," the ministry's statement read.
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Newsweek has contacted NATO for comment on North Korea's claims.
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The ministry also accused the organization of inciting the Russian invasion of Ukraine with its policy of expansion.
"The air raid on Yugoslavia before 1999 and the September 11, 2001 incident served as a new impetus for the expansion of NATO, which had lost its justification for existence after the end of the Cold War, and provided an excuse to intervene militarily in the internal affairs of other countries, leading to an outbreak in 2022," the statement read.
It made reference to the 75th annual NATO summit, held in Washington D.C. in early July, at which it claimed the organization "clearly revealed its identity as a dangerous entity that could lead to a new Cold War."
During the summit, plans were unveiled to bolster "European integrated deterrence" through the transfer of American weaponry to Germany.
In a joint statement from Germany and the U.S., the pair outlined their intention to begin "episodic deployments of the long-range fires capabilities" to Germany in 2026, including SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles and "developmental hypersonic weapons."
The North Korean ministry cited articles by Reutersand German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, which it said argued that this move "will intensify tensions between the West and Russia and China and promote a new arms race, further demonstrating the global shift to the new Cold War."
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The comments from the ministry come during a period of heightened tensions between North Korea and the West.
Missile tests and threats of nuclear escalation have drawn the ire of Pyongyang's neighbors and, according to South Korean National Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, Kim Jong Un's development of a nuclear weapon is "believed to be in the final stages."
These concerns reached a new apex on Sunday, as state-run news agency KNCA reported that Pyongyang had transferred 250 tactical ballistic missile launchers to the South Korean border.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it believed the launchers "are intended to be used in various ways, such to attack or threaten South Korea."
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