The U.S. and NATO are “the most serious threat to world peace” after a landmark declaration this week, North Korea claimed, demanding a “new force” to repel potential expansion attempts in Asia.

In a statement carried by the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Saturday, the DPRK foreign ministry blamed “collusion” between the U.S. and its Asia-Pacific allies for worsening regional tensions by labeling countries like North Korea as a threat.

“The U.S. moves to expand military blocs are the vicious root causes that seriously threaten regional peace, severely deteriorate the international security environment and spark a global arms race,”