US Vice President Kamala Harris Calls North Korea's Military Support For Russia A Big Mistake

JAKARTA - United States Vice President Kamala Harris said North Korea's move to exchange support with Russia for use in war in Ukraine was a grave mistake.

In an interview with CBS News broadcast on Thursday, Vice President Harris said it would be a sign of despair for Russia, to seek help from closed North Korea and this would further isolate the two countries.

"I think it would be a big mistake. The idea that they would supply ammunition for that purpose would be a big mistake. I am also very confident that for Russia and North Korea, this will further isolate them," said Vice President Harris.

Washington officials have warned in recent days that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are actively progressing. Meanwhile, a report said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss providing weapons for Moscow for his war efforts.

"It is very clear that Russia has, obviously they are very desperate. They have suffered a strategic failure. Just imagine, at the beginning of all this happened, a year and a half ago, observers said that this would end in a matter of days. However, Ukraine is still fighting," Harris told CBS.

Earlier, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday warned leader Kim his country would pay the price to supply weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.

"We will continue to call on North Korea to comply with its public commitment not to supply weapons to Russia which will eventually kill Ukrainians," Sullivan said.

Meanwhile, a North Korean defense ministry official in November said Pyongyang had "never made a "gun deal" with Russia" and had "no plans to do that in the future."