North Korea condemned on Friday the decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with advanced battle tanks to help fight off Russia\u2019s invasion, saying Washington is escalating a sinister \u201cproxy war\u201d aimed at destroying Moscow.
\nThe comments by the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the country\u2019s deepening alignment with Russia over the war in Ukraine as it confronts the United States and its Asian allies over its own growing nuclear weapons and missiles program.
\nNorth Korea has blamed the United States for the crisis in Ukraine, insisting that the West\u2019s \u201chegemonic policy\u201d forced Russia to take military action to protect its security interests.
\nIt has also used the distraction created by the war to accelerate its own weapons development, test-firing more than 70 missiles in 2022 alone, including potentially nuclear-capable weapons believed able to target South Korea and the U.S. mainland.
\nKim said the Biden administration was \u201cfurther crossing the red line\u201d by sending its main tanks to Ukraine and that the decision reflects a \u201csinister intention to realize its hegemonic aim by further expanding the proxy war for destroying Russia.\u201d
\n\u201cThe U.S. is the arch criminal which poses serious threat and challenge to the strategic security of Russia and pushes the regional situation to the present grave phase,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cI do not doubt that any military hardware the U.S. and the West boast of will be burnt into pieces in the face of the indomitable fighting spirit and might of the heroic Russian army and people,\u201d she said, adding that North Korea will always \u201cstand in the same trench\u201d with Russia.
\nNorth Korea is the only nation other than Russia and Syria to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, and has also hinted at plans to send workers there to help with rebuilding efforts.<\/p>\n