Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 29 that the United States believes Russia's defense minister is in North Korea to secure supplies of weapons to aid the stalled invasion of Ukraine. Following Sergei Shoigu's arrival on a rare trip to Pyongyang, Blinken said that Russia is scrambling to buy arms from allies across the world. "We're seeing Russia desperately looking for support, for weapons, wherever it can find them to continue to prosecute its aggression against Ukraine," Blinken told reporters in Australia. Russia is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations.
U.S. Says Russia's Shoigu Looking For Weapons In North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on July 26.