Asia-Pacific
UN Command deputy chief visits Berlin to press the case that Korean and European security are linked
Australian Lt. Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commander of United Nations Command, held talks in Berlin on the North Korea-Russia relationship and multilateral deterrence, two years after Germany rejoined the command.
The deputy commander of United Nations Command (UNC), Australian Army Lt. Gen. Scott Winter, has travelled to Berlin to talk with German and international defence and diplomatic leaders about the link between the Korean Peninsula and European security, the command said in a statement published on 21 October.
The visit was framed around Germany’s return to the multinational command in 2024. UNC described it as a chance to underline the command’s continuing relevance as a platform for cooperation among its member states, and to build on Germany’s renewed participation in support of what it called lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Talks centred on North Korea and Russia
According to UNC, the discussions in Berlin focused on the “growing nexus” between North Korea, formally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia. The other themes were the importance of multilateral deterrence and the need for sustained international engagement on shared security challenges. The statement did not name the German or other officials Winter met, and it gave no details of any decisions.
“These engagements underscored the value of close coordination among UNC member states and partners in responding to developments that connect European and Indo-Pacific security,” Winter said, as quoted by the command.
Think-tank roundtable
Winter also took part in a roundtable hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Academics from DGAP and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) attended, together with industry representatives. UNC said the group examined the changing strategic environment on the Korean Peninsula within the wider Indo-Pacific, including what cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow means for security.
The command said the exchange gave research, policy and industry perspectives a chance to feed into a shared understanding of emerging challenges among like-minded partners.
Context
The visit comes as tension on the peninsula is again in the news. Geopolitiki reported earlier this week that South Korea warns of “decisive punishment” for new North Korean provocations after Kim Yo Jong’s border threats. The commander of U.S. forces in Korea, Gen. Xavier Brunson, has meanwhile been making the case in Washington for allied industry to help sustain forces in the region, as covered in US commander in Korea: allied industry should help sustain forces in the region, Gen. Brunson tells Washington audiences.
UNC itself stressed the connection between European and Indo-Pacific security in describing the trip. The command did not announce any further visits or follow-up meetings.
