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Russia seeks weapons from North Korea amid Ukraine war
The White House said it has new intelligence inputs which show that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have traded letters as Russia is seeking weapons from North Korea amid the Ukraine war, according to AP. John Kirby, US National Security Council spokesperson, revealed that Russia is looking for additional artillery shells and other basic materiel to strengthen its defense industrial base.
Following a recent visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang, where he called on North Korean officials to increase the sale of munitions to Moscow for its Ukraine war, the leaders of Russia and North Korea exchanged letters, indicating progress in the discussions regarding a weapons sale.
The National Security Council spokesperson, Kirby, did not disclose how US officials obtained the intelligence. However, it was reported that after Shoigu’s visit, another group of Russian officials also went to Pyongyang for follow-on discussions about potential arms deals between DPRK and Russia.
Meanwhile, North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test towards its eastern waters shortly before the US revealed the new information about the weapon talks. In response, the US flew at least one long-range bomber to the Korean Peninsula as a show of force against North Korea.
The Biden administration had previously stated that Russia has become reliant on North Korea and Iran for the arms required in its war against Ukraine. In March, the White House reported intel suggesting that Russia was seeking to broker a food-for-arms deal with North Korea, where Moscow would provide necessary food and commodities in exchange for munitions from Pyongyang.
Last year, the US accused Russia’s Wagner Group of receiving an arms shipment from North Korea to support its forces fighting in Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea denied these allegations, with the latter claiming that the actions were driven by the “hegemonic policy” of the US-led West and Moscow’s need to protect its security interests.