DPRK's secret deals with Russia help finance its nuclear program - Bloomberg

Bloomberg writes about it.

It is noted that Russia has resumed oil supplies to North Korea for the first time since 2020. This was the next step after the previous resumption of grain supplies.

“North Korea always manages to find a way to survive. There is no indication that it would return to nuclear talks anytime soon,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a regional issues manager at the Vienna-based Open Nuclear Network. 

The White House has speculated that the DPRK may be supplying Russia with ammunition for use in the war with Ukraine.

According to arms expert Joost Oliemans, the DPRK is probably considering getting rid of some of its ammunition at a high price. For example, if North Korea sold shells for $1,000 each, the revenue from the sale of 250,000 shells would be approximately 1% of its GDP.

DPRK's cooperation with Russia

Back on July 13, 2022, North Korea recognized the terrorist "DNR" and "LNR" and their independence. Ukraine strongly criticized this decision and announced the termination of diplomatic relations with the country.

Later, Vladimir Putin told North Korea's leader that the two countries "will work together to expand comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations."

Later, the US State Department said that Russia was exploring options for cooperation with the DPRK in the production of key resources for warfare.

Instead, in January 2023, the US representative to the UN Security Council noted: "Iran and North Korea, which have already transferred weapons and ammunition to Russia for attacks on Ukraine, continue to consider new supplies, despite the Security Council's ban. 

Soon after, the United States did submit evidence of the North Korean regime's arms supplies to the Russian Wagner PMC to the UN Security Council's Sanctions Committee.

As early as March, America did not observe any additional weapons being supplied to the Russian army by North Korea.

But in April, the United Kingdom claimed that Russia was violating the UN arms embargo sanctions that it had agreed to in the UN Security Council against North Korea and Iran.

On June 12, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphasized his desire to strengthen strategic cooperation with Russia and his desire to "build a powerful country and a reliable defense of global peace and security, holding hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin."

On July 25, it became known that a delegation of the Russian Defense Ministry, headed by its head Sergei Shoigu, would visit North Korea on July 25-27 to "strengthen military relations between Moscow and Pyongyang."