Top diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to take tough measures against a possible arms deal between Russia and North Korea, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Sept. 23, citing the foreign ministry in Seoul.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, and his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, in New York on Sept. 22 to discuss the Russia-North Korea arms deal.
Read also: North Korea began supplying Russia with ammunition weeks ago — Budanov
The ministers expressed deep concern over the two nations’ military cooperation and warned that a potential arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia itself had voted for.
They vowed to cooperate with the global community to sternly deal with any threats to regional security in violation of the UNSC resolutions, the ministry said.
Read also: What weapons can North Korea send to help Russia against Ukraine – interview
Earlier this month, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un travelled to Russia’s Vladivostok on his armored train, where he met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Sept. 13, and also visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East. Kim referred to Russia’s war against Ukraine as a “holy battle,” and wished the Kremlin leader “victory.”
On the eve of the visit, media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that arms transfers from North Korea to the Russian Federation might be discussed. The United States warned that if such a weapons transfer occurs, new sanctions would be imposed on Russia and North Korea.
In July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang and attended an arms exhibition, which featured, among other things, combat and reconnaissance drones and new locally-produced intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Read also: Russia–North Korea talks prove Western sanctions work — White House
Russia is already receiving 122mm and 152mm artillery shells, along with Grad rockets from North Korea, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told NV on Sept. 13.
Budanov said the North Korean arms shipments began a month-and-a-half ago.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine