At a summit hosted by US President Joe Biden in Washington, NATO leaders issued a joint declaration condemning China as a "decisive enabler" of Russia's aggression. They pointedly criticised China's extensive support for Russia's defence industry, which they argue has emboldened Moscow's
US official Jack Sullivan noted that Russia's defence industry is on a wartime footing and with help from Iran, China, North Korea, and is "attempting to undertake the most significant defence expansion since the height of the Cold War."
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit, which is scheduled to be held from July 9-11, will witness a discussion among the allies on increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, VOA reported.
Korean Central News Agency report made no mention of the second missile. It also did not elaborate on the nature of the simulated warhead, like where the missile launched from and where it landed.
Monday's launches came a day after Pyongyang promised "offensive and overwhelming" responses to new military drills staged by the United States, South Korea and Japan.
South Korea's military fired warning shots after several North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border on June 18, the third such incident this month.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam on a state visit. Putin landed at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport on Thursday after concluding his visit to North Korea.
Thousands of North Koreans chanting "welcome Putin" lined the city's wide boulevards brandishing Russian and North Korean flags and bouquets of flowers as Putin commenced his first visit to North Korea in 24 years.
This is a rare overseas trip for Putin since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and a key moment for Kim, who has not hosted another world leader in his politically isolated country since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, South Korean military officials said that several North Korean soldiers had been injured or killed in recent landmine explosions near the border, though the exact timing of these incidents was not specified.
Ahead of his two-day visit to North Korea beginning Tuesday, Russian President Vladamir Putin has said that the two countries will together build the security architecture in Eurasia, counter Western sanctions, and establish independent transaction systems.