Russia and North Korea intend to explore some weapons arrangements, according to the U. S. State Department. U. S.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday that because of Russia’s desperation, which has included mobilization and martial law enforcement, it has turned to countries such as North Korea and Iran for help.
“Part of that is a mirror picture of the export controls, the sanctions, the economic measures that were imposed on Russia,” Price said. “The fact is that they don’t have the capacity to produce organically, to import the main inputs they need. “They’re exploring deals with North Korea. “
In early September, there were reports that the Russian Defense Ministry purchased millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea.
An unnamed U. S. official told The Associated Press that Russia’s reliance on North Korea demonstrates that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe shortages in Ukraine, in part because of export controls and sanctions. “
John Parachini, senior defense and foreign affairs researcher at the RAND Corporation, told Newsweek that Price’s comments are a case in which the U. S. is not yet a major issuer. The U. S. releases intelligence in an attempt to thwart what Russia is doing while being more transparent.
“What [Russia] will do with North Korea is not clear, there are many indications that it would be artillery and short-range missiles,” Parachini said. “I think it’s hard to tell, but what the Russians want are short-range missiles. “missiles and artillery. It’s a kind of embrace of remote countries, like who can Russia turn to?”
This is due to the fact that China and India need to worry more about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he added. And since Russia’s production lines seem limited, North Korea could get weapons in exchange for food, fuel, or anything else. more.
In addition to a stockpile of ammunition, North Korea could provide Russia with “the largest independent source of compatible legacy artillery munitions outside Russia, adding domestically produced services for other supplies,” said Joseph Dempsey, associate of defense and military studies. studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies,” he told Defense News.
Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, told Defense News that North and South Korea have tens of millions of artillery shells.
He said North Korea could potentially sell older projectiles that it needs to upgrade with newer ones, either for rocket launch systems or for complicated missiles at its frontline military bases.
The likely maximum of weapons provided to Russia may come with 107mm Katyusha rockets, 122mm rocket launchers, 155mm or 122mm artillery shells or small arms ammunition for device pistols or automatic rifles, Bruce Bechtol, a professor at Angelo State University in Texas, who has researched North Korea’s arms sales. he told Reuters.
“Everything North Korea does is necessarily one of the old Soviet systems,” Bechtol said.
Frank Aum, a senior expert on Northeast Asia at the U. S. Institute of Peace. The U. S. Department of Health told Newsweek that if such arrangements happen, it could make sense for North Korea.
“The Kim regime is cash-strapped due to years of multilateral sanctions and its self-imposed COVID lockdown and has sought means, adding illicit channels such as cyber theft and ship-to-ship transfers, to unload hard currency and aid,” Aum said. .
“Thus, this kind of arms deal allows North Korea to help one of its toughest allies while reaping much-needed financial and curtain benefits, as well as greater benefits in the UN Security Council against new sanctions as Russia has veto power. “
Russia vetoed a U. S. proposal to impose sanctions on North Korea earlier this year, he added.
Ken Gause, director of the Adversary Analytics program at the Center for Naval Analysis and an expert on North Korea, told Newsweek that the State Department’s statements had merit, but that North Korea’s weapons wouldn’t make much difference in terms of conflict with Ukraine.
Russia will most likely receive “low-tech equipment” or traditional small-caliber weapons, he said.
“As for whether it makes a big difference or whether it’s high-tech or missiles, I doubt it. . . The North Koreans are looking for a way to get paid, and the Russians. . . they’re necessarily dragging the back of the barrel,” Gause said.
Countries like North Korea, China and Iran are all “sitting on the periphery” of the Western order, Gause said, and shared agreements between them can set back the United States and its allies.
“I can see them running smoothly in a variety of other deals to supply Russia with whatever it might need,” he said, adding that it is not unexpected that Russia has reached out to countries with mutual interests. price, especially through the North Koreans. “
Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and director of Stimson’s 38 North Program that analyzes North Korea, told Newsweek that the types of ongoing talks between the Russians and North Koreans regarding military acquisitions or broader assistance are still unclear.
“In fact, there have been high-level signals between the two countries, statements by Putin and Kim, which open the door to cooperation at other levels,” Town said. “Putin has more than once thanked Kim Jong Un for North Korea’s loyalty and support. , and there is no doubt that Pyongyang is willing to provide assistance in any way imaginable, for a price, of course. “
In July, North Korea identified the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic, one of the 4 annexed territories that have since been officially theirs, after referendums that many called dubious.
In September, Russia and North Korea denied any exchanges.
An unnamed North Korean Defense Ministry official accused the United States and “hostile forces” of spreading rumors to “pursue their fundamental military and political objectives,” the BBC reported.
“We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia before and we have no plans to export them,” the official said.
Iran is reportedly helping to train the Russian armed forces to use a new drone that is more lethal than the Iranian-made Shahed-136.
The Iranian government has denied offering Russia drones to use against Ukrainian forces, a claim denied by Ukraine and the White House.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday that Iran has sent a “relatively small number” of workers to Crimea to “engage directly on the ground,” The Associated Press reported.
This helps with drone operations and attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Price also showed Kirby’s assessment at his press conference on Thursday, saying that the Crimean-founded Russian military’s corps of workers flew Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were part of recent moves in Kyiv.
“We, the Iranian personnel, the Iranian army personnel, were in Crimea and helped Russia in those operations,” Price said. “Russia has won dozens of those drones so far and will most likely continue to get more deliveries in the future. “
“I think North Korea will be more cautious than the Iranians,” Parachini said, adding that Iran first denied a partnership with Russia and then replaced its tone “to normalize” relations.
“We will have to see if North Korea does the same,” he said.
Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment.
Update 10/21/22, 1:05 AM p. m. ET: This story was updated with comments from Ken Gause, Adversary Analytics program manager at the Center for Naval Analytics, and Jenny Town, senior scientist at the Stimson Center.
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