WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said it would be a “huge mistake” for North Korea to exchange military support with Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
Harris, who is in Jakarta, Indonesia for an ASEAN summit, told CBS News in an interview broadcast on Thursday that it would be a sign of desperation for Russia to seek aid from the reclusive North Korea and it would further isolate both countries.
“I think it would be a huge mistake. The idea that they would be supplying ammunition to that end, is — would be a huge mistake. I also believe very strongly that for both Russia and North Korea, this will further isolate them,” Harris said.
U.S. officials have warned in recent days that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are actively advancing, while a report said North Korea’s Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss supplying Moscow with weapons for its war effort.
“It is very clear that Russia has — clearly they’re very desperate. They have already experienced a strategic failure. Just think about it, at the beginning of it all, year and a half ago, the pundits were saying that this would be over in days. Well, the Ukrainians are still fighting,” Harris told CBS.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday warned Kim that his country would pay a price for supplying Russia with weapons to use in Ukraine.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrea Ricci)