WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday voiced alarm at new military cooperation bet­ween Russia and North Korea after the two countries’ leaders met.

The cooperation announced during North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia’s far east is “quite troubling and would potentially be in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

He noted US concerns that North Korean satellites, on which Russian President Vladimir Putin promised cooperation, have been used to develop Pyongyang’s ballistic missiles. The United States “will not hesitate” to impose sanctions if appropriate, Miller said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an interview aired on Wednesday, said that Russia’s reliance on North Korea and Iran showed its dire situation as it wages its war in Ukraine.

Putin, Kim gifted each other rifles

“That’s kind of a ‘Star Wars’ bar scene of countries. So I think it does speak to Russia’s desperation,” Blinken told the Pod Save the World podcast. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said separately: “Any arrangements that would improve North Korea’s military capabilities would certainly be of concern.”

“We’re looking to make sure that we, as necessary, can impose costs and consequences.” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, slammed Washin­gton’s response to the Putin-Kim summit.

“Washington’s duplicity is absolutely nothing new: Americans can supply weapons to a hot spot — that is, Ukraine — but Russian military-technical cooperation with foreign countries, according to the administration’s logic, is illegal.”

“It’s time for Washington to throw away its sanctions baton and think about how to build equal relationships with all states”.

Rifle gifts

Putin and Kim gifted each other rifles when they met in Far Eastern Russia, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Putin “gave (Kim) a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In return, he also received a North Korean-made rifle,” Kremlin spok­esman Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin also gifted the North Korean leader a “glove from a space suit that has been to space several times.” Kim, who seldom leaves his country, held talks with Putin at the Vostochny cosmodrome.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023