By AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday mentioned that it has new intelligence that exhibits Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia seems to be to North Korea for munitions for the struggle in Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby detailed the newest discovering simply weeks after the White House mentioned that it had decided that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu throughout a current go to to Pyongyang known as on North Korean officers to extend the sale of munitions to Moscow for its Ukraine struggle.
Kirby mentioned that Russia is searching for extra artillery shells and different fundamental materiel to shore up its protection industrial base.
He added that the letters have been “more at the surface level” however that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale have been advancing. The leaders exchanged the letters following Shoigu’s go to, he mentioned.
“Following Shoigu’s visit another group of Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang for follow-on discussions about potential arms deals between the DPRK and Russia,” Kirby mentioned, 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 response to South Korea’s navy. The missile take a look at got here simply hours after the U.S. flew not less than 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 turn into reliant on North Korea, in addition to Iran, for the arms it must combat its struggle towards Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are largely remoted on the worldwide stage for his or her nuclear packages and human rights information.
In March, the White House mentioned it had gathered intelligence that confirmed that Russia was trying to dealer a food-for-arms cope with North Korea, by 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 mentioned 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 preventing in Ukraine on behalf of Russia.
Both North Korea and Russia have beforehand denied the U.S. allegations about weapons. North Korea, nonetheless, has sided with Russia over the struggle 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 international locations from shopping for or acquiring any arms from the North, the 4 international locations mentioned 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 response to the assertion that was learn by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was flanked by diplomats from the three different international locations.
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.
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Associated press author Edith M. Lederer on the United Nations contributed reporting.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”