The Guardian: Russian weapons aimed at North Korea could destabilize the Korean peninsula, US official says

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Russian leader Vladimir Putin's suggestion that Russia could supply weapons to North Korea is “incredibly concerning,” said Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, according to The Guardian.

Recently, Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a defense agreement that requires their countries to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an attack on Pyongyang. The day after his visit to North Korea, Putin also came to Vietnam, seeking “a global strategic partnership” with the country.

The supply of Russian weapons to Pyongyang “it would destabilize the Korean peninsula, of course, and potentially…depending on what kind of weapons they supply…violate UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has supported,” » Miller said.

In response to the agreement, US President Joe Blinken said his country would consider “various measures”. Meanwhile, South Korea summoned Russia's ambassador to protest the deal, amid growing border tensions with North Korea.

Seoul also said it would consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in a statement that sparked outrage from Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev, who said attempts to threaten Russia were unacceptable.

In Vietnam, Putin said reciprocal deliveries of Russian weapons to the North would, in his view, be an appropriate response to the West's supply of weapons to Ukrainian forces.

U.S. officials believe North Korea wants to receive aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, materials and equipment from Russia for the production of ballistic missiles and other advanced technologies. Their cooperation could potentially lead to conflict between Seoul and Pyongyang, which could diminish Ukraine's support, as happened after Hamas' attack on Israel in 2023.

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