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Earlier on Monday, North Korea's KCNA state news agency said Kim
made the pledge in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin
marking Russia's National Day.
Kim called for "closer strategic cooperation" with Moscow,
"holding hands firmly with the Russian president, in conformity
with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to
fulfil the grand goal of building a powerful country," KCNA
said.
The State Department spokesperson said that despite Pyongyang's
denials that it had sold weapons to Russia for its war in
Ukraine, the United States had confirmed North Korea had
completed an arms delivery, including infantry rockets and
missiles, to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group in
November 2022.
"We are concerned that the DPRK is planning to deliver more
military equipment to Russia," the spokesperson added, using the
initials of North Korea's official name.
North Korea has sought to forge closer ties with the Kremlin and
backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine last year, blaming the
"hegemonic policy" and "high-handedness" of the United States
and the West.
The United States said in March it had new information that
Russia was actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from
North Korea in exchange for food aid.
In March, Washington imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man it
said had tried to arrange the sale of over two dozen types of
North Korean weapons and munitions to Russia to help Moscow
replace military equipment lost in its war with Ukraine.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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