North Korea has called for “severe punishment” of the U.S. over Ukraine’s alleged recent attack on Russia-controlled Crimea with American missiles, issuing multiple statements in recent days criticizing military support for Kyiv.

The state media criticism comes after Russian leader Vladimir Putin threatened to arm the DPRK if the West continues to provide weapons to Ukraine, with an expert assessing that North Korea’s statements aim to keep Washington on guard about this possibility.

North Korean defense chief Kang Sun Nam slammed the “puppet Zelenskiy clique” over the attack on the coastal city of Sevastopol, calling the strike an “inexcusable hideous