Russia has begun using ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to attack Ukraine, the White House said.
Washington also claimed that Russia was in talks with Iran to purchase short-range ballistic missiles. According to US intelligence estimates, the Iranian missiles have not yet arrived in Russia, but the deal will be concluded at some point.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that Russia fired a North Korean ballistic missile at Ukraine on December 30, but it landed in an open field. However, Kirby said Russian forces fired more such missiles as part of a large salvo on January 2 and their impact had not yet been assessed.
“Partly because of our sanctions and export controls, Russia has become increasingly isolated on the world stage and forced to turn to like-minded states for military equipment. As we have publicly warned, one of those states is North Korea,” Kirby told reporters at the White House, adding it was a “significant and concerning escalation” in Pyongyang's support for Moscow.
Kirby said the range of the North Korean missiles was 900 km (560 miles) and that in return for the weapons, Russia would supply fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment and other advanced technologies.
“This would have worrying implications for the security of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Kirby added that Iran had already demonstrated its short-range ballistic missile capabilities to visiting Russian military officials, although no such missile deliveries to Russia had been detected so far.
“The United States is concerned that Russian negotiations to acquire short-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively progressing,” he said, concluding: “We assume that Russia intends to purchase missile systems from Iran.”
In response, Kirby said the U.S. would impose sanctions on those involved in facilitating arms transfers and bring the matter of Russia's arms trade with North Korea to the U.N. as a violation of an international arms embargo.
He argued that Moscow's acquisition of foreign weapons should remind Congress of the costs of failing to pass an arms supply package to Ukraine before Christmas.
“Russia is relying on its friends to restore its military supplies and enable its war against Ukraine,” Kirby said. “Iran and [North Korea] stand on the side of Russia. Ukrainians deserve to know that the American people and this administration will continue to stand with them.
“That is why it is critical that Congress seize this moment and respond by providing Ukraine everything it needs to defend itself. Now is the time for Congress to act.”