North Korean leader urges greater nuclear weapons production in response to a 'new Cold War'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an exponential increase in production of nuclear weapons and for his country to play a larger role in a coalition of nations confronting the United States in a new Cold War state media said ThursdayThe Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the comments during a twoday session of the countrys rubberstamp parliament which amended the constitution to include his policy of expanding the countrys nuclear weapons programmeThe Supreme Peoples Assemblys session on Tuesday and Wednesday came after Kim traveled to Russias Far East this month to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and visit military and technology sitesThe trip sparked Western concerns about a possible arms alliance in which North Korea would supply Putin with badly needed munitions to fuel his war on Ukraine in exchange for economic aid and advanced Russian technologies to enhance North Koreas nuclear and missile systemsAs North Korea slowly ends its pandemic lockdown Kim has been actively boosting his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of diplomatic isolation and join a united front against Washington He has described the world as entering a new Cold War and that North Korea should advance its nuclear capabilities in responseKCNAs reports on Kims comments came a day after North Korea c onfirmed the release of US Army Pvt Travis King who is now being flown back to America two months after he sprinted across the heavily fortified border into the NorthAlso Read Will you marry me How young Indian couples are embracing western culture of marriage proposalsKings relatively swift expulsion defied speculation that North Korea might drag out his detention to squeeze concessions from the United States and possibly reflected the Norths disinterest in diplomacy with WashingtonKCNA said members of the assembly gave unanimous approval to a new clause in the constitution to ensure the countrys right to existence and development deter war and protect regional and global peace by rapidly developing nuclear weapons to a higher levelNorth Koreas nuclear forcebuilding policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state which no one is allowed to flout with anything Kim said in a speech at the assembly He stressed the need to push ahead with the work for exponentially boosting the production of nuclear weapons and diversifying the nuclear strike means KCNA saidKim pointed to what he described as a growing threat posed by a hostile United States and its expanding military cooperation with South Korea and Japan accusing them of creating the Asian version of NATO the root cause of war and aggressionThis is just the worst actual threat not threatening rhetoric or an imaginary entity he said Kim urged his diplomats to further promote solidarity with the nations standing against the US and the Wests strategy for hegemonyTensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest level in years as North Korea has testfired more than 100 missiles since the start of 2022 and the US has expanded its military exercises with its Asian allies in titfortat responsesLast year the assembly passed a new nuclear doctrine into law which authorises preemptive nuclear strikes if North Koreas leadership is perceived as under threatThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever