US: North Korea to pay “for weapons to give Russia

The arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are progressing actively, an American official said Tuesday, and warned Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his country will pay the price for supplying Russia with weapons, which it will use in Ukraine.

Weapons supply for Russia “will not reflect well for North Korea and they will pay a price for it in the international community”, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House.

Kremlin said earlier Tuesday that “had nothing to say to” for statements by US officials that Mr. Kim was planning to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Putin and discuss gun supplies to Moscow.

Korean leader Kim expects weapons discussions to continue, said Mr. Sullivan, including at the leadership level and “, possibly even in person”

“We have continued to shrink the base of the Russian defence industry”, said Mr. Sullivan, and Moscow currently “is looking for all resources that it can find” for product exports like ammunition.

We will continue to urge North Korea to stick to its public commitments not to supply Russia with weapons that will end up being used to kill Ukrainian”, said Mr Sullivan.

On Monday, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin may be planning the meeting, and the New York Times “quoted American officials and Allied countries who had spoken under anonymity as saying that Mr. Kim plans to travel towards Russia perhaps next week, to meet with Mr. Putin. Asked if he could confirm these talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There's nothing to say”.

While Russia's isolation has expanded due to its war in Ukraine, it has seen an increasing value in North Korea, political analysts say. As for North Korea, relations with Russia have not always been as warm as during the best times of the Soviet Union, but this country is already benefiting from Moscow's clear need for allies. / VOA