US, Japan and South Korea Form Trilateral Secretariat, Denounce North Korea-Russia Military Ties at APEC

On Friday in Lima, Peru, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President Joe Biden sat down with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan's new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, who took office in October. The three agreed to create a Trilateral Secretariat, a coordination office meant to formalize their partnership and strengthen cooperation in Asia.

According to the reporting, the secretariat will coordinate the security pacts among the three countries and make sure each government follows through on its commitments. The leaders then held a joint press conference to denounce what they called the dangerous ties between North Korea and Russia.

Biden said the alliance would be pivotal to countering North Korea's dangerous and destabilizing cooperation with Russia. Yoon pointed to the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. In his words, the security environment inside and outside the region once again shows why trilateral cooperation matters. Yoon also raised concern about Pyongyang's growing presence in the war in Ukraine.

A joint statement released Friday went further. Japan, South Korea and the United States strongly condemned the decisions by the North Korean and Russian leaders to dangerously expand Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The statement singled out munitions and ballistic missile transfers between the two countries. It called the military cooperation particularly egregious given that Russia is a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council.

The summit doubles as a farewell international stage for Biden, who leaves office in January 2025. Nikkei Asia reported that he told journalists the world has reached a moment of significant political change, and he described the three-way bond as a major part of his legacy. He said this is likely his last trilateral meeting with the group, but that he is proud to have helped build the partnership. He added that he thinks it is built to last, and that this is his hope and expectation.

That hope sits against an uncertain handoff. Donald Trump, who beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, returns to the White House, and his second term has raised questions about America's commitment to Ukraine's defence. Resistance to military aid for Kyiv has also grown in Congress, particularly among Republicans. Last year Republican Senator Josh Hawley called for pulling US funds altogether, saying any Ukraine funding should be redirected to Israel immediately. Trump is also known for his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the election, a former Trump adviser, Bryan Lanza, told the BBC that the president-elect would be willing to give up Ukrainian territory to end the conflict. If President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says peace requires Crimea, Lanza said, he shows he is not serious, and Crimea is gone. Trump's transition team has distanced itself from such claims.

What to watch is whether the secretariat takes shape before January, and whether the incoming administration keeps the trilateral framework Biden is trying to leave behind.