White House: Russia Offering Food for North Korea Weapons

Russia and North Korea are entering a new deal with the former asking the East Asian country for North Korea weapons in exchange for food supplies from their end, according to the White House.

The White House cited new evidence to back up their claims, with the deal said to provide North Korea with needed food and other commodities in return, as reported by Associated Press News.

The U.S. has made the new accusation that Russia is turning to "rogue" nations in an effort to continue its war, which has already lasted for more than a year.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Russia would then receive more than two dozen kinds of weapons and ammunition from North Korea as part of the said deal.

The administration has earlier released U.S. intelligence regarding a deal between Iran and Russia, wherein Iran supplied Russia with hundreds of attack drones.

The Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has also become involved in delivering arms to Russia from North Korea.

Russia and North Korea Weapons Deal

The U.S. Department of Treasury recently said that it was imposing sanctions on Ashot Mkrytchev, who was reportedly arranging a weapons sale between North Korea and Russia, for his attempts to support Russia's military.

Al Jazeera reported that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a news release that Russia has lost more than 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since its attempt to invade Ukraine started.

Yellen added that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "become increasingly desperate" to replace the lost arms in the war.

The White House still expressed concern that North Korea will give more support to Russia's war against Ukraine shortly after the sanctions were announced.

Kirby said that an arms deal between Russia and North Korea would violate the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Russia and Ukraine War

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin noted that around 500 children died during Russia's war, adding that another 943 children have been injured in "varying degrees of severity," as cited by CNBC News.

He noted that his field offices across Ukraine have documented more than 14,000 Ukrainian children forced into adoption in Russia, which he described as a policy targeting "a demographic change by cutting out Ukrainian identity."

Kostin said that those are characteristics of the "crime of genocide."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the German arms delegation Rheinmetall. He then thanked the German arms company for their assistance and support to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the European Union slammed the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia while also denouncing the country's "systematic disregard" for press freedom.

CNN noted that the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell commented on the matter in a tweet, saying that journalists must be allowed to do their jobs freely and with protection.

Gershkovich's arrest marks the first time an American journalist was detained on accusations by Moscow of spying since the Cold War.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Putin says Russia will expand ties with North Korea - from CNA