North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected to meet with Putin

(NEW YORK) — The United States has “information” that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia over arms negotiations discussions, a White House spokesperson said.

National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson did not confirm a New York Times report published on Monday that the two leaders plan to meet in Russia next week, but when asked about the trip, she said in a statement to ABC News that arms talks between Russia and North Korea “are actively advancing.”

“We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” Watson said.

A State Department spokesperson on Monday also warned that any arms deal would violate several UN Security Council resolutions.

“In part due to the success of U.S. sanctions and export controls, Russia has been forced to turn to rogue regimes like the DPRK to try to obtain weapons and equipmentt to support its military operations against Ukraine,” the spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name.

“We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” the statement said.

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