US calls deepening NK-Russia ties trend of 'great concern' ahead of Putin's Pyongyang visit
From left, head of Roscosmos Yuri Borisov, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, president of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, and Nikolai Nestechuk, head of the Centre for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure (TsENKI), visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome. TASS-Yonhap
A U.S. State Department spokesperson on Monday described deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a trend of "great concern," after the North said Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Pyongyang this week.
The North's Korean Central News Agency announced Putin's plan to pay a state visit to Pyongyang from Tuesday to Wednesday amid concerns that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will seek to cement the bilateral military partnership with security implications on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
"We are aware of reports that President Putin will visit Pyongyang soon," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.
"Deepening military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a trend that should be of great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal invasion," the official added.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the department, repeated the stance during a press briefing.
"We have seen over the past few months the DPRK unlawfully transfer dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions to aid Russia's war effort," he said. "We have seen those munitions show up on the battlefield in Ukraine. We know that they are using DPRK ammunition to threaten Ukraine and kill Ukrainians. So, we will continue to make clear our concerns."
White House national security communications adviser John Kirby participates in a news briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 17. UPI-Yonhap
He also renewed calls for Russia to respect all U.N. Security Council resolutions regarding nonproliferation.
During a separate press briefing, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby expressed concerns about the security implications of military transactions between Moscow and Pyongyang on the Korean Peninsula.
"We are not concerned about (Putin's) trip. What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries not just because of the impact that it is going to have on the Ukrainian people because North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets," he said.
"But because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula. Now, we haven't seen the parameters of all that right now ... Certainly, we haven't see it come to fruition but we are certainly going to be watching that very closely," he added.
Seoul, Washington and other countries have carefully watched developments in bilateral military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow due to their broad security implications.
Washington has revealed that Pyongyang has shipped over 10,000 containers of munitions or munition-related materials to Russia since September, in addition to its missile shipments.
In return, the North has been seeking assistance from Moscow, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles and ballistic missile production equipment, according to U.S. officials.
Putin's visit to the North will mark his first trip to the North in 24 years. He last visited the reclusive country in July 2000, when leader Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, was in power. (Yonhap)