US diplomats said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had merely “begged” for help from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reiterating that any arms sale between the two countries would lead to the imposition of sanctions.
• Read also: Kim Jong Un is said to be on his way to Russia
“Having to travel across your country to meet with an international pariah to ask for help in a war that he was hoping to win within a month, I would say that’s like begging,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
The Kremlin announced on Monday that Kim Jong Un will make an “official visit” to Russia “in the coming days.”
“President Putin began this war against Ukraine, with his large-scale aggression, with the dream of restoring the greatness of the Russian Empire. He continued: “This hope and expectation have failed.”
The spokesman said Vladimir Putin would “beg” during the talks scheduled to be held in Vladivostok, on Russia’s Pacific coast, following the G20 summit which the Russian president did not attend due to his “pariah” status.
Miller warned, saying: “We have of course imposed sanctions on entities that finance the Russian war effort (…), and we will not hesitate to tighten them and impose new sanctions.”
