White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said last week the United States has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells.
A North Korean defence ministry official called the allegations a rumour and said Pyongyang has “never had ‘arms dealings’ with Russia” and has “no plan to do so in the future.” Any arms aid would be a further sign of deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as Russia’s isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown.
“North Korea is clearly using the Ukraine war to tighten its relations with Russia,” Victor Cha, of the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a statement.