'Incredibly concerning', says US on Russia signing defence deal with North Korea

The United States said on Thursday (Jun 20) that Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments that Moscow may supply weapons to North Korea after signing a defence pact with Pyongyang are "incredibly concerning".

Putin said on Thursday that Russia might supply weapons to North Korea, andaccording to him it would be a mirror response to the Western arming of Ukraine. The defence pact means both countries will provide immediate military assistance if either of them is attacked.

On being asked about Putin's comments, Miller told a news briefing that "it is incredibly concerning". He added, "It would destabilise the Korean Peninsula, of course, and potentially… depending on the type of weapons they provide, might violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has supported."

Putin, during his visit to Vietnam, warned South Korea that sending weapons to Ukraine would be a "big mistake". His comments came after a report in Yonhap news which said South Korea would review the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine.

The defence pact has particularly irked the West, with White House national security spokesperson John Kirby calling it a cause of concern. According to Kirby, the pact shows Russia’s desperation.

"We've been talking about this and warning about a burgeoning defence relationship between these two countries now for many months through a series of downgraded intelligence that we’ve put out there," he said.

"Obviously it's something we've taken seriously," he added.

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South Korea summons Russian ambassador

Meanwhile, South Korea on Friday summoned Russia's ambassador to Seoul concerning the defence deal. Seoul "strongly urged Russia to immediately stop military cooperation with North Korea and comply with (UN) Security Council resolutions," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Summoning Russia's Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev came two days after Putin and Kim signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement, which includes a pledge to come to each other's aid if attacked.

(With inputs from agencies)