Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mutual defense pact with North Korea is likely to spark confrontation with China, long the isolated country’s main ally, the top US military official said Sunday.
“We now have somebody else moving in this direction, which could lead to a little more confrontation between (China) and Russia,” Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during an overseas trip.
“So it will be interesting to see what these three countries make of this.”
Analysts said the deal signed on Wednesday could weaken Beijing’s grip on its two neighbours and any instability could be negative for China’s global economic and strategic ambitions.
On Thursday, Putin said Russia could supply arms to North Korea, which would be a response to Western countries providing arms to Ukraine.
Brown acknowledged American concerns about the agreement.
But he softened his comments, noting the deal’s obvious limitations and expressing doubt that Moscow would give North Korea “everything” it wants.
US officials have said they believe North Korea is seeking to acquire combat aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials and other advanced technologies from Russia.
“The feedback I’ve gotten about the agreement is that it’s a broad agreement that’s not overly binding, which gives you a signal that they want to work together, but they don’t want to have their hands tied,” Brown said.
Under the treaty signed by Putin and Kim on Wednesday, the two sides commit to providing immediate military assistance to each other in the event of an armed aggression against either one.
Putin has said Moscow hopes its cooperation with North Korea will serve as a deterrent to the West, but there is no need to use North Korean troops for the war in Ukraine.
The United States and Ukraine say North Korea has already supplied Russia with large quantities of artillery and ballistic missiles, a claim Moscow and Pyongyang deny.
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