{"id":2205573,"date":"2024-06-25T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T23:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205573"},"modified":"2024-06-24T15:31:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T06:31:49","slug":"freedom-edge-trilateral-exercise-looms-as-north-korea-russia-partnership-grows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/06\/freedom-edge-trilateral-exercise-looms-as-north-korea-russia-partnership-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom Edge trilateral exercise looms as North Korea-Russia partnership grows"},"content":{"rendered":"
U.S., South Korean, and Japanese officials issued a <\/span>joint statement<\/span><\/a> on Monday strongly condemning deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. The officials criticized North Korea\u2019s arms transfers to Russia and expressed concern over a strategic partnership treaty signed during Russian leader Vladimir Putin\u2019s visit to Pyongyang last week.<\/span><\/p>\n The statement warned that the North Korea-Russia partnership threatens stability in Northeast Asia and Europe and violates U.N. Security Council resolutions. The U.S., South Korea and Japan pledged to strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation to counter North Korean threats. They reaffirmed the U.S. defense commitment to South Korea and Japan as \u201cironclad\u201d while urging North Korea to cease provocations and return to negotiations.<\/span><\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n The joint statement highlights the urgency of the upcoming <\/span>Freedom Edge<\/span><\/a> trilateral exercise, which will be conducted with the <\/span>USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group<\/span><\/a> currently in Busan. This inaugural multi-domain exercise will test the newly activated real-time missile warning data-sharing mechanism, crucial for countering North Korean threats. The exercise\u2019s timing and scale may provoke a strong reaction from North Korea and Russia, potentially leading to increased military activities near the Korean Peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\n