(Patriot.Buzz) – Not content with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin put the world on edge following a recent meeting with another controversial leader.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed significant concern over Putin’s remarks about potentially arming North Korea.
Following a defense pact signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Putin hinted that Moscow might supply weapons to Pyongyang as a countermeasure to the West’s support of Ukraine.
“It is incredibly concerning,” Miller stated at a news briefing to highlight the potential consequences such arms deals could have on the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the broader international community.
He noted that depending on the type of weapons provided, such actions could breach U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has endorsed.
The defense agreement between Russia and North Korea specifies mutual military support in the event of aggression against either country.
This development has raised alarms about the implications for regional stability and global security.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby described the pact as troubling yet expected, indicating Russia’s desperation for foreign military aid.
“We’ve been talking about this and warning about a burgeoning defense relationship between these two countries now for many months through a series of downgraded intelligence that we’ve put out there,” Kirby explained.
The NATO chief also voiced concerns earlier this week about the potential for Russia to bolster North Korea’s missile and nuclear capabilities.
According to U.S. officials, North Korea is likely seeking advanced military technologies from Russia, including fighter aircraft and ballistic missile equipment.
The U.S. and Ukraine have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with military hardware, a claim both Moscow and Pyongyang deny.
The situation has led to international condemnation, especially after Russia vetoed the extension of a U.N. mandate tasked with monitoring sanctions against North Korea.
Former Obama administration Asia specialist Evan Medeiros, now at Georgetown University, warned that “Russia may give North Korea advanced military capabilities that could be very destabilizing.”
He added that “this relationship could give North Korea confidence in ways that encourage Kim Jong Un to act out. Maybe it could manifest in North Korea starting nuclear testing again.”
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