As speculation mounts that Kim Jong-un and Trump could meet this month, analysts say Pyongyang will continue to see nuclear weapons as a matter of survival

North Korea’s launch last week of a missile from a naval destroyer elicited an uncharacteristically prosaic analysis from the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un. The launch was proof, he said, that arming ships with nuclear weapons was “making satisfactory progress”.

But the test, and Kim’s mildly upbeat appraisal, were designed to reverberate well beyond the deck of the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel the Choe Hyon – the biggest warship in the North Korean fleet.

His pointed reference to nuclear weapons was made as the US and Israel continued their air bombardment of Iran – a regime Donald Trump had warned, without offering evidence, was only weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.

  • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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    21 hours ago

    Ukraine found that out in 2022.

    France knows, Poland knows and will probably be the first new nuclear power in the EU.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        How on earth would a nuclear arsenal have benefited the Maiden Revolutionaries?

        If anything, a nuclear armed Ukraine would have been invaded by Russia that much sooner.

        • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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          13 hours ago

          If anything, a nuclear armed Ukraine would have been invaded by Russia that much sooner.

          That’s generally not how nuclear deterrence works.

          Also, 2014 was when Russia invaded Crimea

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            The nukes aren’t a deterrent if they’re manned by the colonizing entity.

            And Russia invaded Crimea in response to the Maiden Revolution, which ousted a friendly government that was giving Russia easy access to the Crimean ports. Crimea hosts the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

            Imagine the US response if The Philippines or Japan installed a pro-China government.

            • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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              10 hours ago

              Why did Russia not invade Poland then?

              They also switched to a pro-west government and resulted in loss of naval facilities. They were also part of the Russian empire and the USSR.

              Same thing happened to China, with multiple pro-west governments in their neigbours.

              Also, we do know what happens in the case of the US. It happened with Cuba.

              Powerful empires always seek to puppet their neigbours. There are only 2 things that effectively prevent that. Mutual Economic entanglement of open democracies and the threat of nuclear weapons.