US, Japan, South Korea hold joint naval drills in East Asian waters
Last Updated on November 16, 2024 6:39 am
The United States, Japan and South Korea held joint naval drills in East Asian waters on Thursday, a major step ahead of President Joe Biden’s transition to Donald Trump.
Reuters reported on Thursday (November 14).
The drills were led by the US warship USS George Washington and jet fighters. The drills were held in waters south of the Korean peninsula and west of Japan’s main islands. The drills are part of a Biden-brokered deal that Seoul and Tokyo signed in 2023 to end years of disputes and forge a trilateral security partnership with the United States.
The ships and aircraft took part in the drills a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a decree approving a major defense treaty with Russia, which includes provisions pledging mutual military assistance to both countries.
On Saturday, President Vladimir Putin also signed a law approving a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea.
The United States and South Korea have claimed that North Korea has sent troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.
On Tuesday, a Ukrainian official claimed that 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops have been deployed to the Kursk region to fight Ukrainian forces.