Shoigu made the request during a visit to North Korea for events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Shoigu to head the Russian delegation that attended the commemoration.
President Joe Biden’s administration says Shoigu’s proposal for closer cooperation with North Korea underscores that the Kremlin has become dependent on North Korea and Iran for the weapons it needs for its war against Ukraine. Pyongyang and Tehran are largely isolated on the international scene due to their nuclear programs and human rights violations.
“This is another example of how desperate Mr. Putin has become because sanctions and export controls are affecting his war machine,” Kirby said. “He is using a lot of inventory to try to subdue Ukraine, And he’s turning to countries like North Korea, like Iran, and he’s certainly been trying to get in touch with China to get support for his war machine.”
The White House said in March that it had gathered intelligence showing that Russia was trying to negotiate an arms-for-food deal with North Korea, in which Moscow would supply Pyongyang with food and other essentials in exchange for ammunition.
Late last year, the White House said it had determined that the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, had received a shipment of North Korean weapons for its forces fighting in Ukraine on Russia’s behalf.
Both North Korea and Russia have previously refuted US claims about weapons. However, North Korea has expressed support for Russia over the war in Ukraine and insists that Western “hegemonic politics”, starting with the United States, have forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests.
The Biden administration says the fact that the Kremlin is dependent on North Korea and Iran is a sign of Russia’s desperation.
The White House says that Iran has been a crucial supplier of attack drones to Russia during the war in Ukraine, and that Moscow has had to circumvent sanctions that prevent it from obtaining complex parts to bolster and maintain its weapons supply.
The United States has long been concerned that China could provide Russia with weapons. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned earlier this year that US intelligence revealed that Beijing was considering the possibility. However, US officials have said that to date they do not believe that China has supplied weapons to Moscow.
Chinese ruler Xi Jinping promised Putin “unlimited” partnership during their meeting weeks before Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The Biden administration has released intelligence findings repeatedly throughout the course of the war to show that Russia has limited options to resupply weapons.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
