Putin makes remarks on possible weapons for North Korea 'incredibly concerning,' US says

By Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments on Thursday that Moscow could supply weapons to North Korea after signing a defense deal with Pyongyang are “incredibly concerning”, the Department of Defense spokesman said. American State, Matthew Miller.

Putin suggested, after a visit to North Korea this week, that supplying weapons to the isolated, nuclear-armed country would be a mirror response to Western arming of Ukraine.

He also warned that South Korea, a U.S. ally, would make “a grave mistake” if it decided to supply weapons to Ukraine, and that Moscow would react to such a decision in a way that would be painful for Seoul.

“It’s incredibly concerning,” Miller said at a news conference when asked about Putin’s remarks on possible arms deliveries to North Korea.

“It would destabilize the Korean peninsula, of course, and potentially…depending on what kind of weapons they supply, it could violate UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has supported.”

The agreement signed Wednesday by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un commits each side to providing immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby called that concerning, but it's not a surprise. He said Russia's need for such foreign aid was a sign of desperation.

“We have been talking about this for several months and warning of a burgeoning defense relationship between these two countries through a series of devalued intelligence that we have released,” he said.

“It’s obviously something we take seriously.”

The NATO chief said Tuesday he was concerned about Russia's support for North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

U.S. officials have said they believe North Korea is interested in acquiring fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials and other advanced technologies from Russia .

The United States and Ukraine say North Korea has already supplied Russia with significant quantities of artillery shells and ballistic missiles, something Moscow and Pyongyang deny.

Western countries have condemned Russia for vetoing the extension of the mandate of a UN body monitoring international sanctions against North Korea, to which Russia remains a signatory.

Kirby said the United States also believed the Russia-North Korea deal would also be a concern for China, which the United States has urged to do more to reign in Pyongyang.

Analysts said the deal could reduce Beijing's influence over its two neighbors and any increased instability could be negative for China's global economic and strategic ambitions.

“Russia could give North Korea advanced military capabilities that could be very destabilizing,” said Evan Medeiros, an Asia specialist in the Obama administration who now teaches at Georgetown University.

“And second, this relationship could give confidence to North Korea in a way that encourages Kim Jong Un to act. Perhaps this could manifest itself in North Korea resuming nuclear testing,” he said. declared.

Kim last oversaw a nuclear test in 2017, prompting sanctions that China and Russia adhered to, but the United States has said Pyongyang could carry out new tests at any time.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said Putin's visit to North Korea provided further incentive for the United States to officially designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

“This photo says it all,” Blumenthal said at a news conference, holding up a photo of Putin’s welcome to Pyongyang.

Both senators have been pushing for the bill since 2022, but President Joe Biden's administration has said it does not believe the designation is the most effective way to hold Russia accountable for Ukraine.

Moscow has told Washington that diplomatic relations would be seriously damaged and could even be severed if Russia was added to the list, which includes Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Syria.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Katharine Jackson, Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina; writing by David Brunnstrom; editing by Andrew Heavens, Alistair Bell and Jamie Freed)