MOSCOW (Sputnik) — North Korea's nuclear program development differs little from the United States' withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin said at an international security conference on Thursday.
"North Korea is subject to fierce international pressure due to its withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its excessive activity in the nuclear sector, but this step by Pyongyang differs little from Washington's decision to withdraw form the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty," Naryshkin said.
On Sunday, Japan and the United States started naval military exercises in the Pacific Ocean with participation of a US naval group led by the USS Carl Vinson, according to Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The group was sent by the United States to the Korean Peninsula amid growing tensions in the region.
The situation on the Korean peninsula aggravated since North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests, with one of the latest constituting a launch of a ballistic missile from Sinpo, South Hamgyong province, in the direction of the Sea of Japan on April 5 and a missile test on April 16, claimed unsuccessful by the South Korean defense officials. The launches are considered to be in violation with the UN Security Council resolution.
On December 13, 2002, then US President George W. Bush announced that Washington would unilaterally withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. On June 13, 2002, the ABM Treaty became invalid.