North Korea Threatens the US Over Taiwan Jets, While Kim Vows Loyalty to Putin

.

Pyongyang Warns Washington

On Wednesday, North Korean state media (KCNA) published a commentary attacking US arms sales to Taiwan. It claimed that American policy was damaging peace and stability in the region.

The text warned Washington to consider carefully whether it wants a direct confrontation with China over Taiwan's security, and whether it could handle the consequences. It was attributed to an analyst, not to an official statement, but in North Korea's tightly controlled media such commentaries are widely read as a reflection of the government's line.

The Jets Behind the Row

The trigger was the arrival of the first two F-16V Block 70 jets at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County on Friday, October 2. They are the first of 66 aircraft Taiwan ordered from the United States. Washington approved the roughly $8 billion deal in 2019.

The delivery came about a month later than expected. Taiwan's news agency CNA reported that the aircraft had waited in Hawaii without explanation while President Donald Trump prepared to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The wider delays stem from technical problems, a relocated production line and supply chain trouble. Taiwan's defense minister, Wellington Koo, said more than two jets would be delivered this year.

The upgraded jets carry modern radar and weapons systems meant to help Taiwan's air force against China's newest fighters. The US has so far declined to offer Taiwan its most advanced aircraft, the F-22 and F-35.

Taiwan Under Daily Pressure

Taiwan's air force has to scramble almost daily to shadow Chinese military aircraft. Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its own territory, although the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled it. Koo said this week that China's intention to take Taiwan by force has not changed.

Under US law, Washington is committed to helping Taiwan defend itself, even though the two have no formal diplomatic relations. Beijing regularly demands that the US stop arming the island.

Arms Sales and Summit Diplomacy

The jets arrived about a week after Xi's state visit to Washington in late September. Arms sales to Taiwan were a central topic there, as they were at the Trump–Xi summit in Beijing in May.

Trump approved a record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan in December 2025. A separate package worth about $14 billion has been on hold since the May summit. Trump has called arms sales a "negotiating chip" with Beijing, and after the Washington talks he said only that he would decide "over the next fairly short period." Analysts quoted by CNA expect the decision to be tied to progress on Ukraine and Iran, with the next sale possibly coming in December or later.

Kim Pledges Support for Moscow

In the same news cycle, Kim Jong Un congratulated Putin on his birthday. According to KCNA, he promised to expand cooperation under the two countries' strategic partnership. He also said he was convinced Russia would win what he described as a just, sacred war.

The message did not name Ukraine directly. That is typical of Kim's recent letters: in a September reply to Putin, he used similar language about Russia's "sacred war." In a reply to Xi Jinping the same month, he spoke of advancing a shared socialist cause with China.

North Korean Troops in Russia

Pyongyang's support is more than words. Ukrainian and South Korean estimates put the number of North Korean troops sent to back Russia at 14,000 to 15,000 since 2024, most of them in the Kursk region.

On September 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers were currently on Russian territory. He said another 10,000 were being prepared for deployment. Ukrainian and independent assessments also say North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and ballistic missiles. The two countries signed a mutual defense pact in June 2024.

What to Watch

The next signals will come from Washington: whether Trump releases the paused $14 billion package, and how quickly the remaining 64 F-16Vs arrive. Beijing and Pyongyang will watch both closely. Meanwhile, the growing military cooperation between North Korea, Russia and China, three one-party states hostile to the democratic world, is likely to remain a central security concern in Asia and Europe.

.

Sources

1. Reuters, "North Korea warns US over Taiwan while Kim pledges support for Russia," Oct 7, 2026: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/north-korea-warns-us-over-taiwan-while-kim-pledges-support-russia-2026-10-06/
2. Focus Taiwan (CNA), "Taiwan receives first 2 F-16V Block 70s (update)," Oct 2, 2026: https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610020020
3. Defense News (AP), "Taiwan's first two F-16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defenses against China," Oct 2, 2026: https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2026/10/02/taiwans-first-two-f-16v-fighter-jets-arrive-to-bolster-defenses-against-china/
4. South China Morning Post, "Can Taiwan's new F-16s level the playing field against the PLA's J-20 stealth fighters?": https://scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3365234/can-taiwans-new-f-16s-level-playing-field-against-plas-j-20-stealth-fighters
5. Focus Taiwan (CNA), "US may delay Taiwan arms sale amid more Trump-Xi meetings: Analysts," Sept 26, 2026: https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202609260008
6. Korea Times (Reuters), "Ukraine's Zelenskyy says North Korea prepares to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia," Sept 29, 2026: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260929/ukraines-zelenskyy-says-north-korea-prepares-to-deploy-another-10000-troops-to-russia
7. Reuters via WHTC, "Kim says he will 'expand and deepen' joint work with Russia," Sept 15, 2026: https://whtc.com/?p=974836

.