Russia, North Korea Holding Secret Negotiations for Arms Deals: White House

Russia in secret talks with North Korea to secure an arms deal for the war in Ukraine, White House says.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese Communist Party politburo member Li Hongzhong, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 27, 2023. KCNA via Reuters

Russia and North Korea are engaged in secret negotiations to secure an arms deal for Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, according to the White House.

Pyongyang provided rockets and missiles to Moscow for use by the Wagner mercenary group early on in the war and is now considering further military assistance, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.