Putin, Kim Jong traded letters as Russia seeks munitions from North Korea: US

The White House on Wednesday stated that it has new intelligence that reveals Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia appears to be like to North Korea for munitions for the warfare in Ukraine.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby detailed the most recent discovering simply weeks after the White House stated that it had decided that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, throughout a latest go to to Pyongyang, referred to as on North Korean officers to extend the sale of munitions to Moscow for its Ukraine warfare.

Kirby stated that Russia is in search of extra artillery shells and different primary supplies to shore up its defence industrial base.

He added that the letters had been “more at the surface level” however that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale had been advancing. The leaders exchanged letters following Shoigu’s go to, he stated.

“Following Shoigu’s visit another group of Russian officials travelled to Pyongyang for follow-on discussions about potential arms deals between the DPRK and Russia,” Kirby stated, utilizing the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kirby declined to element how U.S. officers had gathered the intelligence.

Shortly earlier than the White House unveiled the brand new details about North Korea and Russia’s weapon talks, North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards its jap waters, in line with South Korea’s navy. The missile check got here simply hours after the U.S. flew at the very least one long-range bomber to the Korean Peninsula in a present of drive towards the North.

The Biden administration has repeatedly made the case that the Kremlin has change into reliant on North Korea, in addition to Iran, for the arms it must battle its warfare towards Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are largely remoted on the worldwide stage for his or her nuclear applications and human rights data.

In March, the White House stated it had gathered intelligence that confirmed that Russia was seeking to dealer a food-for-arms cope with North Korea, during which Moscow would offer the North with wanted meals and different commodities in return for munitions from Pyongyang.

Late final 12 months, the White House stated it had decided that the Wagner Group, a personal Russian navy firm, had taken supply of an arms cargo from North Korea to assist bolster its forces combating in Ukraine on behalf of Russia.

Both North Korea and Russia have beforehand denied the US allegations about weapons. North Korea, nevertheless, has sided with Russia over the warfare in Ukraine, insisting that the “hegemonic policy” of the U.S.-led West has compelled Moscow to take navy motion to guard its safety pursuits.

At the United Nations on Wednesday, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan urged North Korea to halt arms negotiations with Russia.

Any Russian-North Korean arms offers would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, backed by Russia, that prohibit all nations from shopping for or acquiring any arms from the North, the 4 nations stated in a joint assertion.

“This sends the wrong message to aspiring proliferators that if you sell Russia arms, Russia will even enable your pursuit of nuclear weapons,” in line with the assertion that was learn by US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was flanked by diplomats from the three different nations.

President Donald Trump traded letters with Kim throughout his administration in an unsuccessful bid to encourage the North Korean chief to desert his nuclear weapons program.

Published On:

Aug 31, 2023