North Korea According to US security officials, Russia is trying to strike a deal with Russia to trade its glut of weapons for much-needed food supplies.
National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator John Kirby made the claim during a news conference Thursday.
“We remain concerned that North Korea will continue to support Russia’s military operations against Ukraine,” Kirby said. “As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen types of weapons and ammunition from Korea.”
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, walks around a Hwasong-17 ICBM on the launch vehicle at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
He continued: “We also understand that Russia is trying to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for ammunition.”
The alleged arms deal could be coordinated by a notorious Slovak arms dealer, Ashot Mkrtychev, Kirby claimed.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev during their meeting in Moscow on Saturday, March 25, 2023. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The NSC will continue to monitor relations between the two countries and warn that evidence of an arms deal could lead to an international incident.
“Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a number of UN Security Council resolutions. We have noted recent statements by North Korea that they will not supply or sell arms to Russia and we continue to monitor this closely. ‘ Kirby said at Thursday’s press conference.
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Participants in military uniform stand in front of a banner with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a patriotic flash mob marking the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in Yalta. (REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak)
He added: “We will continue to try to acquire, identify, detect and repel Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from North Korea or any other state willing to support its war in Ukraine.”
North Korea unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads Tuesday as a US aircraft carrier strike force docked in South Korea.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday ordered his country to ramp up production of “weapons-grade nuclear material.” (KRT/via Reuters TV/Handout)
The unveiling of the weapons, dubbed Hwasan-31, shows potential advances by the North in making warheads powerful yet small enough to place on ICBMs capable of reaching American shores, experts told Reuters.
Images released by North Korea showed Kim Jong Un Inspection of the weapons at an undisclosed location.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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