US Concerned Over Possible Tech Transfer Between Russia, North Korea

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins delivers a speech while attending the Global Forum to Prevent Radiological/Nuclear Terrorism, in Bucharest, Romania, on Nov. 13, 2024. Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters

The United States is concerned over growing ties between Russia and North Korea and the potential transfer of nuclear technologies between the two countries, the U.S. government’s top arms control official said on Nov. 13.

Bonnie Jenkins, under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs, addressed the issue on the side of the Global Forum to Prevent Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism in Romania, where she’s leading the U.S. delegation.

Jenkins told Reuters that the United States doesn’t have definitive information on what nuclear technology may be transferred from Russia to North Korea, but it does have “an overall concern about the developing relationship between the two countries.”

“Not only because of what technology could be being transferred, but also just the growing relationship and the fact that the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] is assisting Russia,” she said, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its official name.

“[This assistance is] not only with their developing defense industrial base but also obviously with the 10,000 troops or so that are in Russia right now.”

On Nov. 12, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed that North Korea had deployed more than 10,000 soldiers to east Russia, most of whom had begun fighting against Ukrainian troops alongside Russian forces in Russia’s western Kursk region.

The Pentagon has stated that it couldn’t corroborate reports that North Koreans were fighting in Ukraine.

Jenkins’s remarks echoed those of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Speaking from NATO headquarters in Brussels on the same day, Blinken and Rutte both highlighted concerns that Russia may be paying North Korea with missile and nuclear technology.

Commenting on the increased ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, Jenkins said the United States is “working with like-minded countries to make it very obvious and very clear in the international community how much of a concern it is.

“But there are other things we’re also doing. We’re very much working with South Korea on our extended deterrence talks, with Japan as well, to shore up their concerns and make sure that they know they can rely on the U.S. for our ironclad commitments to them,” she said.

Besides Russia’s nuclear rhetoric during its ongoing war against Ukraine, China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, raising concerns among non-nuclear countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

In April, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told an event hosted by the Hudson Institute that the United States is committed to its role as a nuclear umbrella, which protects non-nuclear allies by extending its deterrent capabilities.

Jenkins said on Nov. 13 that Beijing has yet to respond to U.S. requests for concrete discussions on reducing nuclear risks as it builds up its arsenal.

In July, the Chinese regime rejected Washington’s call for more talks on arms control and nuclear nonproliferation in protest of U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.

“We don’t have yet the sustained dialogue that we would like with them,” Jenkins said. “They did notify a number of countries before a ballistic missile test that they did recently. That’s the type of thing that we’ve been asking them to do, pre-notifications.”

The under secretary was referring to China’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile in October.

It was the first time in 44 years that China tested a long-range missile over the Pacific Ocean instead of in its western desert.

Reuters contributed to this report.