The Biden administration is growing increasingly worried that North Korea might be planning to take more aggressive military actions ahead of the US election in November, per an NBC report.
Senior U.S. officials told the news outlet that a military alliance between North Korea and Russia could be in the works to kelp Kim Jong Un’s desire to expand his country’s nuclear capabilities and increase tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We have no doubt that North Korea will be provocative this year. It’s just a matter of how escalatory it is,” a U.S. intelligence official told NBC News.
The report said Putin might encourage North Korea to take its most provocative military actions in a decade close to the election.
On Friday it was reported that North Korea appears to be preparing to launch its second military spy satellite into space, according to South Korea’s military.
In the recent months, North Korea has been conducting missile tests to expand its weapons arsenal. Analysts say North Korea likely thinks a larger arsenal would increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S.
“2024 is not going to be a good year,” Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told NBC News. “It’s going to be a bit of a roller coaster.”
U.S. officials have been expecting a nuclear test from North Korea, and have devised contingency plans for how to respond if Kim shells South Korea’s border islands or takes aggressive actions in the demilitarized zone with South Korea.
“We are going to be ready and prepared,” a senior administration official said.
Furthermore, U.S. intelligence officials say Russia is supplying North Korea with nuclear submarine and ballistic missile technology. There’s a concern Putin is trying to help Kim develop North Korea’s first submarine that can launch a nuclear-armed missile.
In exchange, North Korea gives Russia huge amounts of munitions for its war in Ukraine, although they are likely old and unreliable.
Russia is also providing North Korea with diplimatic cover, through its veto power on the U.N. Security Council, preventing further sanctions aimed to constrain its nuclear program.
“This is an enormous shift,” said another senior administration official to NBC News.
{Matzav.com}
