North Korean participation in military exercises with China and Russia would be an “appropriate” response to U.S.-led naval and aerial drills around the Korean Peninsula, according to Russia’s ambassador to the DPRK. 

Alexander Matsegora’s remarks to state-owned Russian news agency TASS come days after the U.S. and ROK wrapped up their large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military exercises, which featured American B-1B bombers and joint precision strike training simulating bombing of North Korean military targets.

“The need for some kind of joint response seems appropriate” in light of “constant bilateral and trilateral exercises conducted by the U.S. and its allies,”