North Korea could receive support from Russia in further developing its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities if it supplies weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, a senior US diplomat said on Monday.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also said at a think tank event in Washington that China had indicated in its dealings with the US that it was also concerned about Russia’s deepening relations with North Korea.
“We believe there are discussions about what North Korea is getting in return, and those discussions may be related to its plans for developing nuclear weapons or long-range missiles, perhaps other things in the energy field and the like,” Campbell said. “We are concerned.”
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell speaks at a think tank event in Washington on June 12, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
He said the United States knew that North Korea had supplied Russia with a huge amount of shells and some long-range missiles, as well as other capabilities, since it began invading Ukraine in February 2022.
“I think it’s fair to say that China is probably concerned that North Korea might be emboldened in some way to take provocative steps that could lead to a crisis in Northeast Asia,” he said at the event organized by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Campbell added that while China and Russia are “working very closely together” on Ukraine, the US believes tensions between Beijing and Moscow are rising over North Korea.
About a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in more than two decades and signed a new mutual defense agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un, Campbell said he saw Pyongyang redefining its role in world politics.
“We have also observed a recurring pattern of absolutely clear determination to avoid diplomacy with the United States, Japan or South Korea under any conditions,” he said. “This is a dangerous set of developments that we are watching very closely and are participating in.”
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