Kim Jong Un Accuses US of Escalating Tensions, Warns of Nuclear War Risk

Kim Jong Un has accused the U.S. of escalating tensions, warning of a heightened risk of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. He criticized past U.S. negotiations as hostile and suggested reopening talks if the U.S. changes its approach.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States of escalating tensions and provocations, stating that the Korean Peninsula is at its greatest risk of nuclear war. This statement, made in a speech during a military exhibition in Pyongyang, comes amid international concern over the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including reports that North Korea sent over 10,000 troops to assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Kim criticized previous negotiations with Washington, claiming they only highlighted the US's "aggressive and hostile" stance towards North Korea. "Never before have the parties involved in the Korean conflict faced such a dangerous and immediate risk of a thermonuclear war," he said. Kim also declared that North Korea had reached the limit of what it could achieve through negotiations with the U.S., as those talks had only underscored America's unyielding policy.

North Korean state media have not yet commented on the re-election of Donald Trump, who had previously held three summits with Kim between 2018 and 2019. However, these talks ended without significant progress due to the wide gap between U.S. demands for North Korea to relinquish its nuclear arsenal and Kim’s insistence on sanctions relief.

Trump, who has often praised his rapport with Kim, stated last month that their relationship had prevented a nuclear war, saving millions of lives. Hong Min, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, suggested that Kim’s recent remarks may be an effort to emphasize North Korea’s nuclear strength ahead of Trump’s potential second term, while signaling a willingness to reopen diplomatic discussions if the U.S. shows a more cooperative approach.

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