Russia seeking North Korean weapons for Ukraine war: US
Antony Blinken, the secretary of state for the United States (US), has claimed that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is currently in North Korea to secure arms to aid Moscow's halted invasion of Ukraine, reported AFP. "We're seeing Russia desperately looking for support, for weapons, wherever it can find them to continue to prosecute its aggression against Ukraine," he said on Saturday.
Why does this story matter?
Shoigu is on a rare visit to the isolated country, where he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday. He reached Pyongyang with China's delegation—including Chinese Communist Party leader Li Hongzhong—to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, also called Victory Day in North Korea. Notably, they were North Korea's first foreign guests since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
Strongly doubt Shoigu is on holiday: Blinken
Talking to reporters in Australia, Blinken said, "I strongly doubt he's (Shoigu) there (North Korea) on holiday." "We see that in North Korea, we see that as well with Iran, which has provided many drones to Russia that it's using to destroy civilian infrastructure and killed civilians in Ukraine," he added. Notably, Russia is one of the few nations maintaining friendly relations with Pyongyang.
Russia praised North Korean military as 'most powerful'
Blinken's remarks came days after Shoigu praised North Korea's military as the "most powerful" of all nations. North Korean state media reported that during the Victory Day celebrations, Kim oversaw a military parade with Russian and Chinese officials. The parade showcased new attack drones and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Moreover, the meeting between Kim and Shoigu was reportedly described as a "friendly talk."
