North Korean leader Kim Jong UN is planning to travel to Russia this month and will hold a “leader-level diplomatic engagement” with President Vladimir Putin to continue actively advancing arms negotiations, CNN reported citing the US government.
US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson claimed that the US has the information that the North Korean leader will talk on the ongoing arms negotiations.
“We have information that Kim Jong-Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” said Watson.
Watson did not say when and where a potential meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia might take place, but 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.
The Shoigu visit was made “to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia,” Watson said adding, “We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia.”
Since that trip another group of Russian officials travelled to Pyongyang for follow-on discussions, NSC strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said last week. Putin and Kim have also exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation, she added.
Earlier, the US claimed Russia and North Korea are "actively advancing" their talks regarding a potential arms deal that would provide significant ammunition for various weapons systems, including artillery.
This is the latest sign that the Kremlin is desperate to acquire more supplies for its faltering invasion of Ukraine, CNN reported citing a recently released US intelligence.
The news of the probable deal has emerged despite North Korea's public denials.
The Biden government stated on Wednesday that they are still concerned that the two pariah states are engaged in arms negotiations and that, following Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to North Korea last month, a second delegation of Russian officials have arrived in Pyongyang for additional talks on a potential deal, as reported by CNN.
In addition to the second delegation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have written to one other "pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation," according to John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council.
The public disclosure of the new intelligence is the latest example of how the Biden administration intends to continue publicizing Russia's efforts to evade Western sanctions and source weapons for its war, as well as putting North Korea on notice that the US is closely monitoring these efforts.
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