US: "North Korea-Russia Arms Deal Contributes to Illegal War... Must Stop"

The U.S. government once again urged North Korea on the 31st (local time) to halt arms transactions with Russia.

Patrick Ryder, spokesperson for the Department of Defense, criticized the arms trade between North Korea and Russia during a briefing that day, saying, "These weapons contribute to Russia's continuation of its illegal war in Ukraine and the killing of innocent Ukrainians."

When asked how this arms deal with the Russian government differs from the previously disclosed transactions between North Korea and the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group last year, he explained, "This case involves the Secretary of Defense actually visiting North Korea for arms negotiations, and it is taking place at the highest levels of the Russian military authorities." He added, "We will continue to urge North Korea to cease negotiations with Russia and refrain from providing weapons that perpetuate the illegal invasion and occupation."

Regarding whether there are arms transactions between the Wagner Group and North Korea following the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, he responded, "The Wagner Group has essentially ceased to exist," and said, "(North Korea) would likely say they have no separate negotiations with them."

He also issued a warning about North Korea conducting a full military command exercise aimed at occupying South Korea in response to the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises.

Spokesperson Ryder stated, "We urge North Korea to refrain from all types of provocative rhetoric and actions," and added, "We are closely cooperating with South Korea and our regional allies, focusing on ensuring peace, stability, and security." He emphasized, "We will continue to communicate closely with each other to ensure safety and security."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.