British Defense Minister Grant Shapps mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin in a social media post, saying had to beg North Korea to supply them with weapons for the Ukraine war. Notably, Mr Shapps' comments come after a US report claimed Russia used ballistic missiles and missile launchers sourced from North Korea in recent attacks on Ukraine
"The world has turned its back on Russia, forcing Putin into the humiliation of going cap in hand to North Korea to keep his illegal invasion going," Grant Shapps wrote on X.
He added, "In doing so Russia has broken multiple [United Nations Security Council] resolutions and put the security of another world region at risk. This must stop now. Together with our partners, we'll make sure North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia.”
The White House also said Russia is looking to obtain missiles from its ally Iran as it runs short of arms nearly two years into Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The Pyongyang-supplied missiles with ranges of around 900 kilometers (550 miles) were fired by Russia in two attacks on Ukraine within the past week, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
"This is a significant and concerning escalation in the DPRK's support for Russia," Mr Kirby said at a press conference.
Russian forces launched at least one of the North Korean-supplied missiles on December 30, which landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the spokesman. Moscow's forces then fired "multiple" ballistic missiles into Ukraine as part of a mass aerial attack on January 2, he added.
Britain said it "strongly condemns" Russia's use of North Korean missiles. "Russia is turning to North Korea for its weapons in pursuit of its cynical and ill-conceived military aims in Ukraine. This is symptomatic of its isolation on the world stage and a sign of its desperation," a Foreign Office statement said.
The North Korean leader visited Russia in September, sparking concern among Kyiv's allies over the possibility of a potential arms deal. During the meeting, Kim Jong Un declared his support for Putin's "sacred fight".
"Now Russia has risen to the sacred fight to protect its sovereignty and security against the hegemonic forces that oppose Russia. And now we want to further develop the relationship. We will always support the decisions of President Putin and the Russian leadership," Kim said.
