Status: 13.10.2023, 19:17 PM
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) during a visit in September next to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at Vladivostok International Airport. © Uncredited/kcna/dpa
The U.S. and allies have long warned that North Korea could supply weapons and military equipment to Russia. Now the U.S. government is certain: weapons have been shipped.
Washington - North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia for the war of aggression against Ukraine, according to the US government. These are more than 1000,<> containers with military equipment and ammunition, the White House said on Friday. It is believed that Pyongyang wants advanced Russian weapons technologies from Moscow in return to expand North Korea's nuclear program, said National Security Council communications director John Kirby.
North Korea is likely to focus on missiles, armored vehicles and ballistic missile equipment, Kirby said. "We are closely watching whether Moscow will provide these materials to Pyongyang." It has already been observed that Russian ships have unloaded containers in North Korea. This could possibly represent the first shipments of materials from Russia. However, this is not certain, Kirby explained.
In the past, the U.S. and allies such as South Korea have repeatedly warned the two countries against military cooperation and expressed concern about possible arms deals. Any arms trade between Moscow and Pyongyang would violate existing UN resolutions, they had warned.
Meeting between Kim and Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin received North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East in September. Whether agreements were reached on arms supplies was not officially announced. At the time, the US feared that Putin wanted to obtain large quantities of artillery ammunition and missiles from North Korea to use them in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. In return, Kim could hope for Russian technology, for example for the construction of satellites or nuclear submarines, it was said at the time.
"We condemn North Korea for supplying Russia with military equipment that it is using to attack Ukrainian cities, kill civilians and fuel an illegitimate war," Kirby warned. The U.S. government released corresponding images on Friday, which are said to show the transport of the containers from North Korea to Russia by ship. Dpa