The US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Saturday amid rising tensions between South Korea and North Korea in recent weeks, the Associated Press reported.
USS Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group Arrived The carrier arrived on the Korean peninsula for joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan. Its arrival comes amid rising tensions between the two Koreas in recent weeks and a new agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia that was finalized on Wednesday. according to To the Associated Press. (Related: Video of Putin and Kim Jong Un touring in a special limousine)
TOP SHOT – In this pool photo distributed by Russian state news agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast each other during a reception at the Mongolian Pavilion Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. (Photo by Vladimir Smirnov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The carrier's arrival demonstrates U.S. commitment to its allies and “strong will to respond to the growing threat from North Korea,” the South Korean Navy told The Associated Press in a statement on Saturday. Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, the U.S. military's operational commander, said the demonstration was aimed at showcasing the allies' joint capabilities and “ensuring our readiness to respond to any crisis or contingency.”
The United States has recently stepped up defense ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what appears to be an increasing threat from North Korea, according to the Associated Press. Kim Jong Un signed a new security pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, pledging a mutual defense posture between the two countries in the event of an invasion.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – JUNE 19 (Russia leaves) Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un (left) attend a welcoming ceremony ahead of a Russia-North Korea summit in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 19, 2024. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
“We are taking this very seriously,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Said “And I would say that's one of the reasons why throughout this administration, we've prioritized strengthening our relationships with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, whether through our historic tripartite agreements with South Korea and Japan, AUKUS, and other initiatives because of the potential to deepen cooperation between our two countries.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, North Korea's ties with Russia have grown closer and trust with the West has essentially collapsed.
“The Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed today provides, inter alia, for mutual assistance in the event that any of the parties to this agreement is aggressed,” Putin said during a visit to North Korea last week. Per Reuters: “In this regard, Russia does not exclude the development of military-technical cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
North Korean troops have also violated border agreements with South Korea in recent weeks. Crossed North Korea conducted three military drills in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in June, most recently on Friday, and South Korean forces responded by firing warning shots, Time magazine reported.
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