Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, thanked his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, for supporting the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, South Korean news outlet Yonhap News has reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lavrov hosted Choe on Tuesday to discuss bolstering ties amid reports of an arms cooperation deal between Moscow and Pyongyang. His comments underscore the Kremlin’s increasing dependence on North Korea for weaponry.
During discussions Lavrov thanked Choe for Pyongyang’s support of what Russia terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
The meeting focused on “active work” towards implementing agreements made during a September summit between Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
KIM WON JIN/AFP/WireImage
These developments come as the United States accuses Russia of using North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles and launchers in its conflict with Ukraine.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, described the situation as a “significant and concerning escalation” in Pyongyang’s support for Moscow.
Kirby announced that the U.S. intends to bring the issue before the U.N. Security Council and is considering additional sanctions.
The U.S. and Western allies have leveled strict sanctions and export controls on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February, 2022 in a bid to starve Moscow of the resources it needs to carry out the war.
Despite Russian denials, Kim ordered the expansion of North Korea’s missile launch vehicle production shortly after the White House’s accusations, intensifying international concern.
Claims about North Korea’s support for Russia are supported by U.S. intelligence reports detailing the use of self-guided ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets up to 900 kilometers (500 miles) away.
These missiles, according to a White House statement last week, have been used in attacks against Ukraine, including a short-range ballistic missile that traveled 460km from its launch site in Russia.
Defense analysts have pointed out similarities between Russia’s Iskander-M ballistic missiles and North Korea’s KN-23 missiles, which are now alleged to have been utilized by Moscow.
Yang Uk, from the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told the Financial Times that North Korea could possess up to 100 KN-23 missiles and may be willing to transfer these to Russia for financial gain.
“Pyongyang needs cash right now more than it needs war, and it can always build a new stockpile,” Yang stated.
As Kyiv’s allies, led by the U.S., decry North Korea’s purported arms transfers, Russian officials dismiss such allegations as U.S. “disinformation.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.