North Korea condemns NATO summit, says denuclearisation should start with US allies

North Korea’s foreign ministry, via state news agency KCNA, condemned the United States and its NATO allies on 11 July for “strengthening military blocs and accelerating an arms buildup” after the NATO summit held in Turkey. The ministry accused NATO leaders of portraying Pyongyang’s legitimate sovereign rights as a threat and said the alliance demonstrated a stronger commitment to bloc‑to‑bloc confrontation through increased defence spending and deeper military cooperation with partners in the Asia‑Pacific region. At the summit, NATO officials announced more than $50 billion in military procurement and industrial agreements, while South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung said Seoul hopes to expand cooperation with NATO on research, development and weapons production. North Korea argued that genuine denuclearisation efforts should focus first on the nuclear ambitions of US‑backed South Korea and Japan, as well as NATO members participating in nuclear‑sharing arrangements, stating “Denuclearisation should start with US allies.” KCNA added that North Korea will “strengthen its nuclear forces quantitatively and qualitatively,” and leader Kim Jong Un called for modernising the country’s military.