New Cold War Shaking the Korean Peninsula Again... Putin Threatens "Relations with Korea Are Broken" (Comprehensive Report 2)

Yoon Suk-yeol "No Fact of Ukraine Weapon Support" Rebuttal
US Defense Department "Regime End if North Korea Uses Nuclear Weapons"... China and Russia Also on Alert

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin unusually singled out South Korea and warned that bilateral relations could collapse if weapons are supplied to Ukraine. President Yoon Suk-yeol directly refuted Russia's claims, stating that there has been no weapons support.

The U.S. Department of Defense unveiled a new defense strategy expressing concerns about the potential linkage of nuclear provocations among North Korea, China, and Russia. It also strongly warned that the regime would end if North Korea uses nuclear weapons. Amid the international community sliding into a new Cold War following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of North Korea's 7th nuclear test has emerged, plunging the Korean Peninsula into turmoil.

Putin Threatens "If South Korea Provides Weapons to Ukraine, Bilateral Relations Will Collapse"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 27th (local time), President Putin, during a three-hour discussion on international affairs at the Valdai Club meeting of Russian experts held in Moscow, unusually mentioned South Korea directly and urged it not to supply weapons to Ukraine. He said, "I know that South Korea has decided to provide weapons and ammunition to Ukraine," and warned, "If South Korea supplies weapons to Ukraine, bilateral relations will collapse."

The South Korean government immediately refuted President Putin's claim, stating there has been no weapons support to Ukraine. President Yoon Suk-yeol, speaking to reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office building that day, said, "There is no fact of supplying lethal weapons or anything like that to Ukraine," adding, "However, it is ultimately a matter of our sovereignty."

Along with the warning to South Korea, President Putin explicitly expressed support for North Korea and China by mentioning the North Korean nuclear issue and the Taiwan issue together. Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, Putin pointed out, "The U.S. almost reached an agreement with North Korea on the nuclear program but changed its stance and imposed sanctions again." He blamed the U.S. and South Korea for the worsening of the North Korean nuclear issue amid the possibility of North Korea's 7th nuclear test.

He also emphasized only China's position on the Taiwan issue. President Putin criticized, "Why does an American grandmother visit Taiwan and provoke China? It is wrong for the U.S. to ruin relations with China." This was a disparaging reference to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taiwan in August amid protests from the Chinese government, calling her a "grandmother" and describing U.S. Taiwan policy as a "provocation."

Regarding the possibility of nuclear weapon use, he continued with remarks threatening the West. He warned, "The world will experience the most dangerous decade since World War II," adding, "As long as nuclear weapons exist, the risk of their use will always remain."

U.S. Department of Defense Unveils New Defense Strategy: "Will Deter Nuclear Threats from North Korea, China, and Russia"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the U.S. Department of Defense simultaneously released new defense strategies including the National Defense Strategy (NDS), Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), and Missile Defense Review (MDR).

The U.S. Department of Defense stated, "Homeland defense against the multi-domain threats posed by China is the top priority of defense," and pointed out, "The most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security is China's coercive and aggressive efforts to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to align with its own interests and authoritarian preferences." It further criticized, "China seeks to weaken U.S. alliances and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and aims to leverage its growing capabilities, including economic influence, the expanding power of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and military footprint, to coerce neighboring countries."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also emphasized in a press briefing that "China is the only competitor with the intent and significant power to reshape the international order." In contrast, Russia, which is invading Ukraine, was described as a "current threat." The Department of Defense stated, "While China poses a long-term challenge to the Department of Defense, recent events involving Russia highlight an urgent threat."

The U.S. Department of Defense mentioned the nuclear threats from North Korea, China, and Russia together, warning that the regime would end if North Korea uses nuclear weapons. The Department stated, "North Korea does not compare to China and Russia but poses a challenge to U.S. and allied nuclear deterrence," adding, "There is no scenario in which the Kim regime can use nuclear weapons and survive." It warned, "Any nuclear attack by North Korea on the U.S., its allies, or partner countries is unacceptable and will result in the end of the regime."

The nuclear threats from Russia and China were also mentioned. The Department stated, "Our security commitments to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region remain unchanged," and "We recognize increasing security concerns due to nuclear and missile developments by North Korea, China, and Russia, and will strengthen deterrence capabilities in response to these regional security environment changes."

It added that consultations to deter threats from North Korea, China, and Russia will be concretized with South Korea, Japan, and Australia. The Department said, "An important goal is to create opportunities for information sharing and dialogue among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, or including Australia as a four-party," noting, "This could involve high-level regular meetings or reviewing response measures for crisis management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.