North Korea has warned that the West has “crossed a line” with its decision to supply tanks to Ukraine.
Kim Jong-un’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, says Washington is fomenting a “puppet war” aimed at destroying Moscow.
Her comments came after the US announced plans to supply Ukraine with advanced battle tanks to help repel a Russian invasion.
North Korea has shown an increasingly close relationship with Russia throughout the war in Ukraine.
Ms Kim has now said the Biden administration has “further crossed the red line” in providing support to Ukraine.
The decision reflects “a sinister intent to realize its hegemonic goal by further expanding the proxy war to destroy Russia,” she fumed in comments published by North Korean state media.
She said: “The United States is the main culprit, which poses a serious threat and challenge to Russia’s strategic security and brings the regional situation to the current serious phase.”
“I have no doubt that any military equipment that the US and the West boast about will be burned to smithereens in the face of the indomitable fighting spirit and might of the heroic Russian army and people.”
She added that North Korea will always “stand in the same trench” with Russia.
North Korea is the only country other than Russia and Syria to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
He also hinted at plans to send workers there to help rebuild.
The United States has previously accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary army.
In turn, North Korea has repeatedly blamed Washington for the crisis in Ukraine, insisting that the West’s “hegemonic policy” forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests.
The US decision to send tanks to Ukraine followed Germany’s agreement to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks.
Who is Kim Yo Jung?
Ms. Kim is a politician in her native North Korea.
The exact date of her birth is unknown – the US Treasury Department states that she was born on September 26, 1989, however, South Korean sources claim that she was born on the same day in 1987.
She is often photographed next to her brother, and analysts previously predicted that she could take over if he suddenly failed to rule.
It is alleged that Mr. Kim and Ms. Kim maintain a close relationship as a result of their studies together in isolation in Switzerland from 1996 to 2000.
When she returned to North Korea, it is believed that Ms. Kim continued her education at the Kim Il Sung Military University and went on to study computer science at the Kim Il Sung University.
She was expelled from the Politburo – the executive committee of communist political parties – in April 2019, but reinstated again in April 2020.
This further fueled rumors that she could be lined up to take over if Mr. Kim was unable to reign.
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