North Korea has denied the U.S. allegation that it has sought to provide weapons to Russia for its use in Ukraine.
An unidentified vice director at the ministry’s military foreign affairs office accused the United States on Tuesday, per state media, of a “hostile attempt to tarnish the image of [North Korea] in the international arena.” The official reiterated their denial of such U.S. accusations, saying, “We once again make clear that we have never had ‘arms dealings’ with Russia and that we have no plan to do so in the future.”
The comments came a week after National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters that its “information indicates that the DPRK is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells.” The North Koreans, he said, attempted to disguise these shipments by making them “appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East.”
IRAN MAY PROVIDE RUSSIA WITH ADDITIONAL WEAPONS, INCLUDING MISSILES, IN UKRAINE
Kirby reiterated that “our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we’re going to monitor to see whether shipments are received” when he was asked if the Russians had actually received the artillery shells.
In addition to North Korea, Russia has sought to bolster its forces with hundreds of drones from Iran that it has used to pummel Ukraine’s electrical grid across the country, plunging millions into darkness with impacts in terms of water supply systems and water treatment.
“When you see [Russian President Vladimir Putin] reaching out to countries like North Korea and Iran because he’s running short of his own weapon systems, that gives cause for concern,” Kirby explained. “It increasingly is unsettling in terms of the degree to which he feels he has to continue to stretch to prosecute before. And so all of that combined gives us cause for increasing concerns over the last eight months.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Sunday that Russia could renew its frequent attacks against its electrical grid if it’s able to acquire additional weapons from Iran.
“We also understand that the terrorist state is concentrating forces and means for a possible repetition of mass attacks on our infrastructure. First of all, energy. In particular, for this, Russia needs Iranian missiles,” he said while Kirby also told reporters last week that the administration remains “concerned” about the possibility that Iran could provide Russia with missiles, though he reiterated, “We haven’t seen that bear out, but it’s a concern that we have.”
