Russian military chief criticises trilateral missile tracking drills
TOKYO: Russia’s military chief warned yesterday that military exercises by Japan, the United States and South Korea aimed at countering North Korea only raise hysteria and create more instability in the region.
Russian Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov, issued his warning in Tokyo as the United States, Japan and South Korea began a two-day exercise to practice tracking missiles amid rising tension over North Korea’s weapons programmes.
“Carrying out military training in regions surrounding North Korea will only heighten hysteria and make the situation unstable,” Gerasimov said at the beginning of a meeting with Japanese Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera.
This week’s exercise by the United States and its two Asian allies, in which they will share information on tracking ballistic missiles, comes just days after large-scale drills by US and South Korean forces that North Korea said made the outbreak of war ‘an established fact’.
North Korea says its weapons programmes are necessary to counter US aggression.
On Nov 29, North Korea test-fired its latest ballistic missile, which it said was its most advanced yet, capable of reaching the mainland United States.
China has also repeatedly called for the United States and South Korea to stop their exercises, which North Korea sees as preparation for an invasion.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked in Beijing about the latest US, South Korean and Japanese drills, said the situation was in a vicious cycle that if followed to a conclusion would not be in anyone’s interests.
“All relevant parties should do is still to completely, precisely and fully implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions toward North Korea, and do more for regional peace and stability and to get all parties back to the negotiating table. Not the opposite, mutual provocation,” Lu said.
Gerasimov’s visit to Japan is the first by a senior Russian military official in seven years and follows the resumption of ‘two-plus-two’ defence and foreign minister talks in March after Russia annexed Crimea. — Reuters