Putin and Kim Jong-un letters ‘show Moscow seeking North Korea arms’
The US says Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have exchanged letters recently as Russia seeks weapons for its war in Ukraine.
The US claims President Putin and Kim Jong-un have exchanged letters in recent weeks as Russia seeks weapons from North Korea for its war in Ukraine.
As John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesman, was updating reporters on the negotiations, Pyongyang launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters. The test-fire came hours after the US flew at least one long-range bomber to the Korean peninsula in a show of force against Kim’s regime.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff confirmed the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles. The White House said it was aware of the action by North Korea.
Kirby told reporters that while no deal had yet been struck between Moscow and Pyongyang, the letters between the two leaders followed a series of visits to North Korea by leading Russian officials.
“Russia has been actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from [North Korea],” he said, describing Pyongyang as a “rogue regime”.
Kirby said the US remained concerned that North Korea was considering supplying arms to Moscow, despite public statements that it would not do so. The US says that North Korea has already supplied some weapons to the Wagner group, a mercenary force that has been fighting on Russia’s behalf in Ukraine.
Kirby said that “arms negotiations between Russia and [North Korea] are actively advancing”. He would not elaborate on what stage the negotiations were at, or on the probability that more North Korean weapons would be shipped to Russia.
However, he pointed to a visit to Pyongyang last month by Sergei Shoigu, the Russia defence minister, as evidence of strengthening ties between the two countries.
He said that during Shoigu’s visit to North Korea, he attempted to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery munitions to the Russian military and that the letters exchanged between Putin and Kim included pledges to “increase bilateral co-operation”.
The Biden administration has repeatedly made the case that the Kremlin has become reliant on North Korea, as well as Iran, for the arms it needs to fight its war against Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records.
“We urge [North Korea] to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” Kirby said.
He added that Russia’s attempts to buy weapons from North Korea represented a weakness in Putin’s war strategy and highlighted Moscow’s battlefield losses.
North Korea has staged a series of weapons tests in recent months, including of long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have sparked alerts in Japan and South Korea and condemnation from Washington. The latest ballistic missile launches came the day before South Korea and the US wrapped up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has denounced.
“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional provocations, and is maintaining full readiness through close co-operation between Korea and the United States,” South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.
Japan’s defence ministry also confirmed North Korea’s missile launch.
The Times
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