In a briefing on Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States believes the negotiations between North Korea and Russia are “actively advancing”. He added that North Korea would have to pay a “price” if it supplies Russia with weapons for the country to fight its war against Ukraine, according to the Ani News.
“So, I can’t speculate on North Korea’s motives… What I can say is this: Providing weapons to Russia for use on the battlefield to attack grain silos and the heating infrastructure of major cities as we head into winter to try to conquer territory that belongs to another sovereign nation – this is not going to reflect well on North Korea, and they will pay a price for this in the international community,” Sullivan said.
CNN reports that Sullivan’s remarks came at a time when Kim Jong-un plans to travel to Russia this month and have “leader-level diplomatic engagement” with President Vladimir Putin to continue pushing forward with arms talks.
According to the US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, the North Korean leader would talk on the outgoing arms negotiations. Watson said:
“We have information that Kim Jong-Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia”.
Watson did not clarified time and date of a potential meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia. However, it would follow Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to North Korea in July and comes after US officials last week said that the two countries are “actively advancing” their negotiations over another potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang providing weaponry to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
Earlier, the US pointed out that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” their aims conserning a potential arms deal that would provide significant ammunition for various weapons systems, including artillery. This is the most prominent feature that the Kremlin desperately tries to acquire more supplies for its war effort in Ukraine, CNN reported citing a recently released US intelligence. The news of the probable deal has emerged despite North Korea’s public refutation.
