WASHINGTON — Our enemies and our other enemies are friends.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently made a desperate trip to North Korea to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery shells to Moscow for use in its 18-month war over Ukraine, the White House revealed Wednesday.
“Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are well underway,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, using the official acronym for North Korea.
Since Shoigu’s visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged letters, “promising to increase their bilateral cooperation,” according to Kirby.
“Our information further indicates that following Shoigu’s visit, another group of Russian officials went to Pyongyang for follow-up discussions on a potential arms deal between the DPRK and Russia,” he said. “Following these negotiations, high-level discussions may continue in the coming months.”
The North Korea relationship continues the theme of Russia reaching out to other US adversaries, such as Iran, to obtain weapons for use in Ukraine – which is heavily supported with military aid from more than 50 countries, including America.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang on July 27, 2023. Korea Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
According to the White House, Shoigu made the trip to convince North Korea to sell artillery shells to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. KCNA via REUTERS
Although North Korea has publicly stated that it will not sell weapons to Russia, US officials “remain concerned that [they] continues to consider providing military support to Russian forces in Ukraine,” Kirby said.
“Towards the end of last year, [North Korea] sent infantry rockets and missiles to Russia for use by Wagner [mercenary group,]Kirby said. “Since then, Russia has actively sought to obtain additional weapons from [them] on many occasions.”
Once one of the strongest forces fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the Wagner Group is no longer considered a serious threat in Ukraine following the recent death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Kremlin is suspected of shooting down Prigozhin’s plane on August 23, two months after he led an aborted coup against Putin’s government
Shoigu takes a drone tour of North Korea’s military complex.EyePress News/Shutterstock
While Kirby did not specify what weapons could be included in the potential new deal, intelligence suggests it involves a “significant quantity and a wide variety of initiatives” from North Korea that Russian forces plan to use in Ukraine, Kirby said.
“An arms deal between the DPRK and Russia would directly violate several UN Security Council resolutions,” Kirby said.
The deal with North Korea could also involve the provision of raw materials to support Russia’s defense industrial base, which has suffered under international trade sanctions imposed since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Shoigu and Kim attend a military parade.KCNA/UPI/Shutterstock
North Korean military equipment on display at a parade attended by Shoigu.KCNA/UPI/Shutterstock
“Export controls and sanctions are very targeted to try to eliminate Russia’s ability to have those kinds of raw materials and basic materials to feed into military manufacturing capabilities,” Kirby said.
Washington is “monitoring the situation closely” and is ready to take action “by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities that are working to facilitate arms deals between these two countries,” Kirby said.
“We urge the DPRK to stop its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitment that Pyongyang has made not to provide or sell arms to Russia.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
