Washington - On Wednesday, the US State Department issued a stern warning, affirming that the Biden administration will not hesitate to impose further sanctions on Russia and its steadfast ally, North Korea, should they engage in additional arms deals.

This development followed the visit of North Korea's authoritarian leader, Kim Jong Un, to Russia earlier this week. During his visit, Kim held bilateral discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Far East, culminating in an agreement for a potential transfer of arms for use in Ukraine. Addressing reporters during a press briefing on September 13, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller delivered strong messages to Moscow and Pyongyang in response to inquiries about the Putin-Kim meeting.

"We have already taken a series of measures to sanction entities involved in brokering arms sales between North Korea and Russia, and we are prepared to take further measures as deemed necessary," Miller informed the press.

Miller also emphasized that any arms pact between the two nations could potentially breach multiple UN Security Council resolutions. "When we witness what appears to be an escalation in cooperation and likely military transfers, that is cause for concern and could potentially violate numerous UN Security Council resolutions," Miller remarked during the briefing.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom expressed concerns about the possibility of Kim providing weaponry and ammunition to Russia during the closed-door talks with Putin. The US State Department underscored its readiness to impose more sanctions if any new arms agreements were reached.

The talks between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un concluded after approximately four to five hours, as reported. South Korean officials closely monitored the arms deal discussions, marking the first such meeting in four years. Jeon Ha-kyu, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, disclosed that it was likely that Kim Jong Un entered Russia via a private train earlier that morning. He also noted the presence of a significant number of military personnel accompanying Kim during his visit to Russia.

Furthermore, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that the situation had evolved since North Korea faced UN sanctions. The discussions between Kim and Putin resulted in an agreement for North Korea to supply Russia with additional weaponry, potentially for use against Ukrainian forces involved in the ongoing conflict in Kyiv and other military operations. In return, Putin pledged assistance for North Korea's ambitious satellite program.