US Warns North Korea About Weapons Aid To Russia

Archives - Russian President Vladimir Putin (frontside) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (front right) visited Vostochny's space launch center in Russia's Far East (13/9/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Kremlin)

JAKARTA - The United States has warned of the potential for North Korea's additional military assistance to Russia to be used in the fight against Ukraine.

The warning was delivered by the US after North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Moscow this week, which is a clear sign of deepening bilateral relations between Russia and North Korea.

At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Russia from Monday to Wednesday and he also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Obviously, North Korea and Russia have ties," said US Department of Defense Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder at a press briefing reported by ANTARA from Yonhap, Thursday, January 18.

"What we don't want to see is the sustainability of aid proliferation to Russia for use in Ukraine," said Border.

Asked to comment on North Korea's recent launch of hypersonic medium-range ballistic missiles, Ryder called on Pyongyang to refrain from "destabilizing" activity.

"When discussing destabilizing activities, we will continue to call on North Korea to refrain from such activities and will continue to consult closely with our allies in the region to ensure that it can maintain regional peace and security," he said.

In a separate briefing, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller urged the DPRK (Korean People's Democratic Republic) - North Korea's official name - to return to dialogue.

"We call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocative destabilization and to return to diplomacy," Miller told a news conference.

"In particular, we encourage the DPRK to engage in substantive discussions on identifying ways to manage military risks and create lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," he continued.

Miller also reiterated the existence of US bases "not showing hostile intentions" with North Korea.

Regarding North Korea's Foreign Minister's trip to Russia, Miller noted a transfer of weapons between the two sides, which US criticized as a violation of several UN Security Council resolutions.

"We have seen Russia providing weapons to North Korea. We have seen North Korea providing weapons to Russia," he said.

"We have seen Russia take action that violates several UN Security Council resolutions, including its own supported resolution," Miller said.