United States: According to the White House, US intelligence authorities have established that Russia has obtained ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran as Moscow struggles to replenish supplies for its war with Ukraine.
North Korean Supply
According to recently declassified intelligence, North Korea gave Russia ballistic missile launchers and numerous ballistic missiles, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. On December 30, Russian soldiers fired at least one of those ballistic missiles into Ukraine, which fell in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia area, he added.
US Expresses Alarm Over Potential Russia-Iran Missile Deal
He claimed Russia shot multiple North Korean ballistic missiles as part of a nocturnal attack on Tuesday, the impact of which the US was reviewing.
Kirby stated that while a Russia-Iran agreement had not been reached, the US “is concerned that Russia’s negotiations to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing.”
The Biden administration has frequently attempted to make the argument that the Kremlin has become reliant on North Korea, as well as Iran, for the armaments it requires to fight its war against Ukraine and has released intelligence data to support this claim.
Because of their nuclear programs and human rights histories, North Korea and Iran are virtually isolated on the world scene.
North Korea transported more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and weapons to Russia in October, according to the White House.
Historical Ties and Recent Collaborations: North Korea and Russia
Relations between Russia and North Korea go back to the 1948 foundation of North Korea. Soviet officials installed a young and ambitious nationalist, Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un, as the country’s first ruler.
Soviet aid shipments were crucial in keeping North Korea’s economy afloat for decades before the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Kim visited Russia in September to meet President Vladimir Putin and see major military installations. According to the Biden administration, Iran has equipped Russia with attack drones.