National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would be a violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions. He added that the U.S. would continue to identify and stop Russian efforts to acquire ammunition from North Korea, or any other state that might be prepared to support the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
“This is yet another example of how desperate [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is becoming, because his war machine is being affected by the sanctions and the export controls,” Kirby said. “He is going through a vast amount of inventory to try to subjugate Ukraine.”
The revelation, which was based on declassified U.S. intelligence, follows a visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang last week with the aim of reaffirming their military partnership.
Ammunition shortages have been a problem for both sides in the Ukraine war. President Biden last month warned that Ukraine was running out of ammunition. And Moscow has previously turned to Pyongyang for supplies, according to U.S. officials.
Earlier this year, the White House said Russia was negotiating a deal with North Korea to exchange weapons for food and other commodities. The U.S. has also imposed sanctions and export controls on individuals who have allegedly attempted to facilitate arms deals between Russia and North Korea.
The Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., referred questions to the defense ministry in Moscow, which didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment. The North Korean mission to the United Nations also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
