North Korea's massive arms shipments to Russia have significant implications for regional
(The Post News)- North Korea has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s troubled “Golden Dome” missile defense program as a deadly conspiracy to ignite war outside the orbit of Earth.
Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement over state media. They characterized the proposed space-based defense shield as “the height of self-righteousness and arrogance.” They claimed that Washington is plotting to “militarize outer space” and turn it into a “potential nuclear war field.”
The Golden Dome is a copy of Israel’s Iron Dome system. It has an infinitely wider scope. It is designed to protect the United States. It guards against “next-generation” threats such as ballistic and cruise missiles. Trump claims that the system, once crafted, will allow America to intercept “even from the other side of the world.”
But its viability and implications are questioned by critics at home and abroad. North Korea warned that the project would lead to an international arms race, saying it reflects a broader U.S. ambition to attain “absolute security” on the expense of international stability.
“America is obsessed with uni-polar domination,” the Foreign Ministry declared. “This so-called defense project is nothing but a veiled endeavor to pursue preemptive military dominance.”.
North Korea’s loud denunciation follows similar criticism by China and Russia. Beijing recently declared it was “seriously concerned” over the project’s “strong offensive implications.” It warned that this would “shake the international security and arms control system.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning added that the project could “raise the risk of making space a war zone.”.
Russia was initially more cautious in response but also opposed. In a joint statement with China, Moscow labeled the Golden Dome as “deeply destabilizing.” They considered it a negation of the excellent balance between offense and defense strategic missiles.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned that the Kremlin would take the project seriously. He guaranteed that Russia’s state-of-the-art missile systems penetrate even layered defenses.
North Korea was officially confirmed as a nuclear weapons state in 2022. Hopefully, it would regard the Golden Dome as an immediate threat to its strategic deterrent. Experts suggest the shield could reduce the effectiveness of Pyongyang’s missile force. This force is composed of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and recently developed hypersonic warheads.
If the U.S. goes ahead with its new missile defense system. The North will be forced to find new methods to evade it. “They might also try to penetrate it,” Hong Min said. He is a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, and he told the paper.
North Korea launched a record 47 missiles in 2024, and U.S. military officials estimate that the nation is still adding to its nuclear arsenal. Estimates suggest it is between 70 and 90 nuclear warheads.
While Trump has vowed to finish the Golden Dome by the end of his term in 2029, experts remain skeptical. The initiative faces significant technical and financial hurdles. An early $25 billion has been earmarked. Still, the total cost could soar above $500 billion over the next two decades. This is according to a recent Congressional Budget Office estimate.
Others argue that putting interceptors and sensors in space would violate existing arms control agreements. They believe it would further militarize a peaceful space asset that most people think should stay peaceful.
Still, Trump persists in asserting that the project is critical to U.S. security. “We will have the best missile defense system ever built,” Trump announced last week. “Our enemies will think twice before challenging us.”
Resistance is widening across Asia and worldwide. This means that the Golden Dome is as much of a diplomatic hotbed as a technological triumph.
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