A nuclear-powered United States aircraft carrier has arrived in South Korea to participate in joint military exercises also involving Japan. The South Korean Navy reported this in a statement, specifying that the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt “arrived at the Busan naval base on the morning of June 22.” The leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan had agreed at a summit held last August to hold annual military training exercises. Earlier this month, the defense chiefs of the three countries announced new exercises aimed at sharpening their combined response in various domains including air, sea and cyberspace. The joint exercises are regularly denounced by North Korea as rehearsals for an invasion. The arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt also comes the day after Seoul summoned the Russian ambassador Georgj Zinoviev to protest against the agreement reached this week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, an agreement which provides for the mutual assistance in the event of war. Under the agreement, Russia and North Korea pledge to provide each other with immediate military assistance in the event of aggression.
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The South Korean government has condemned the Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday, June 19, and will reconsider its position on providing military aid to Ukraine. National security advisor Chang Ho Jin declared this at a press conference, expressing in particular “grave concern” about the clause of the agreement which commits Moscow and Pyongyang to intervene in defense of their ally in the event of an attack. Any type of cooperation that directly or indirectly favors the North Korean armed forces, Chang recalled, violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and will be subject to investigations and sanctions. “We plan to reconsider the issue of military support for Ukraine,” the senior Seoul official added. South Korea does not currently supply lethal weapons to Kiev. Chang stressed, however, that his government will maintain “strategic ambiguity” regarding the type of weapons sent to Ukraine.
