Intelligence officials from the United Nations alleged that Russia has acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and is now seeking the same weapons from Iran as Moscow struggles to replenish supplies for its war against Ukraine, said the White House. Fears of Russia seeking North Korean weapons arose during Kim Jong Un's visit to Moscow in 2023.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said that recently declassified intelligence found that Russia had access to North Korean ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles, and one of these missiles was fired into Ukraine on December 30 and landed in an open field in Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia also launched multiple North Korean ballistic missiles on Tuesday (January 2) as part of an overnight attack, and the US was assessing the impact, said Kirby. The missiles have a range of about 550 miles (885 kilometres). The US believes that North Korea wants Russia to provide it with aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment and other advanced technologies.
Kirby further said that a Russia-Iran deal had not been completed but the US "is concerned that Russia’s negotiations to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing". The Biden administration has repeatedly sought to make the case that the Kremlin has become reliant on North Korea, as well as Iran, for the arms it needs to fight its war against Ukraine and has disclosed intelligence findings that it says show as much.
Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia
The North Korean leader visited Russia in September last year, after which he called for an exponential increase in the production of nuclear weapons and for his country to play a larger role in a coalition of nations confronting the United States in a “new Cold War". According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim deepened “comradely fellowship and friendly ties” with Putin during his six-day trip.
The US at the time accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia. American officials said that Kim is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions to boost North Korea's nuclear programme on the heels of its growing antagonism to US-South Korea military cooperation.
Kim's meeting with Putin was being watched closely by Western countries amid concerns that North Korea may provide Russia will millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet design that can provide a major boost in Russia's war against Ukraine. In return, Pyongyang will seek desperately-needed shipments of food and energy along with modern weapons technologies.
In October, the White House claimed that Pyongyang delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia. North Korea has grown closer to Russia since the latter invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Why would Russia seek weapons from North Korea and Iran?
Russia is already facing international sanctions and export controls over the Ukraine conflict, which has caused Putin to seek weapons from other sanctioned countries like North Korea and Iran. An arms deal with Pyongyang will complicate efforts of a peaceful resolution proposed repeatedly by other countries.
North Korea and Iran are largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records. They are both the biggest US rivals in East Asia and the Middle East respectively, same as Russia and are looking for assistance from Moscow to help fight what they call US-led 'provocations'.
The White House has said Russia has received hundreds of one-way attack drones, as well as drone production-related equipment, from Iran. The Biden administration has also accused Iran of providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow.
Kirby on Thursday said that the US would raise its concerns about the arms arrangement findings at the UN Security Council and would look to impose additional sanctions against North Korean and Iranian individuals and entities facilitating weapons transfers with Russia.
(with inputs from AP)
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