U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, holds a joint press conference with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron at the State Department in Washington, U.S., April 9. AFP-Yonhap
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated concerns Tuesday over military support for Russia’s defense industrial base from North Korea, Iran and China, as Moscow continues its protracted war against Ukraine.
Blinken made the remarks during a joint press conference with his British counterpart, David Cameron, in Washington, where they dealt with a range of bilateral and global issues, including what he termed, the “imperative” to get assistance to a war-ravaged Ukraine.
“We talked about ways to strengthen efforts to prevent the transfer of weapons of material to Russia for use in Ukraine. And this is an ongoing challenge,” Blinken said.
“We see weapons. We also see technologies to support the defense industrial base in Russia coming from North Korea, from Iran, from China. This is an area of particular concern for not only the United States and the United Kingdom, but many of our allies and partners throughout Europe,” he added.
Washington has continued to shine a light on arms transactions between Moscow and Pyongyang due to its profound security implications in Europe, on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere.
Pyongyang has shipped over 10,000 containers of munitions or munition-related materials to Russia since September 2023, as well as several dozen ballistic missiles, according to the U.S. government, as Moscow strives to replenish its weapons stockpile for use in Ukraine.
Seoul officials have voiced concerns that the use of North Korean weapons in Ukraine could provide the North with technical and military insights, while accusing Pyongyang of using the war-torn nation as a “test site” for its weapons.
During their talks, the two sides also touched on issues concerning efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and on the Korean Peninsula, where Blinken said Washington and London are “aligned.” (Yonhap)
