(Al Jazeera Media Network) The White House has warned North Korea against selling munitions to Russia for its war in Ukraine as tensions between Pyongyang and Washington continue to mount.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States is concerned about potential arms deals between Russia and North Korea.
“We urge the DPRK 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, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kirby added that the U.S. believes Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu tried to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Moscow when he visited North Korea and met with leader Kim Jong Un in July.
The White House spokesman declined to detail how U.S. officials had gathered the intelligence.
The U.S. has been warning its competitors and adversaries – including China – against helping Russia in its military offensive in Ukraine. Kirby’s comments on Wednesday came weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim exchanged letters vowing to bolster ties between their two countries.
“I am sure that we will strengthen the bilateral co-operation in all fields for the two peoples’ wellbeing and the firm stability and security of the Korean peninsula and the whole of Northeast Asia,” Putin said in a statement at that time.
Last year, the U.S. accused North Korea of covertly shipping artillery shells to Russia.
“We remain concerned that … the DPRK continues to consider providing military support to Russia’s military forces in Ukraine,” Kirby said, citing “new information” that such talks were advancing. “High-level discussions may continue in coming months,” he said.
Both North Korea and Russia have previously denied U.S. allegations about weapons.
North Korea, however, has sided with Russia over the war in Ukraine, insisting that the “hegemonic policy” of the U.S.-led West has forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests.
