White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby claimed on Wednesday that Washington found out that Russia and North Korea have been "actively advancing" talks on weapons sales in secret.
Kirby said that Russia is looking to acquire additional weaponry, particularly artillery shells and raw materials, from Pyongyang in order to use them in Ukraine and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchanged letters on the matter, but did not stress the White House sources for the information. The White House official stressed any potential agreement between the two sides would violate United Nations resolutions.
Kirby also reiterated the US State Department's claims that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu visited Pyongyang recently in an effort to convince North Korea to sell more munitions to Moscow.