'Humiliated' Putin Had to Beg for Weapons: UK Official

Russian President Vladimir Putin is begging his remaining allies to provide Moscow with weapons to bolster its invasion of Ukraine, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said.

Shapps' comments follow a report by White House National Security spokesman John Kirby, who told reporters Thursday that Russia recently used short-range ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in multiple airstrikes across Ukraine. Kirby said that the transfer of weapons between the two countries is a "significant and concerning escalation" in the war, which has strained relationships between Moscow and Washington, D.C.

"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," Shapps said in a post to X, formerly Twitter, Friday morning, pointing to a BBC report on Kirby's press briefing.

"In doing so Russia has broken multiple [United Nations Security Council] resolutions and put the security of another world region at risk," he continued. "This must stop now. Together with our partners we'll make sure North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia."

Newsweek on Friday reached out to Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry via email for comment.

Putin has ramped up his aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent days, and Kirby said that some of the assaults were conducted in part with North Korean-provided weapons. According to U.S. intelligence, at least one ballistic missile provided by North Korea was fired by Russia on December 30, which landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region. Moscow also launched multiple North Korean missiles in its overnight attack on Kyiv Tuesday, according to Kirby.

Kirby also told reporters Thursday that Russia is believed to be closing in on a deal with Iran for additional short-range missiles, saying the U.S. is "concerned" such negotiations are "actively advancing."

Since the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, Western countries have stood unequivocally by Kyiv's military, issuing an unprecedented amount of sanctions on Russia and supplying Ukraine with billions in military aid and weapons. Russia has in return looked toward making military allies out of countries like Iran and North Korea.

In July 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu vowed to strengthen military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang after meeting with his North Korean counterpart, Kang Sun Nam. A few months later, when Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a warning to Kim not to provide Moscow with any weapons for its war against Ukraine.

Reuters reported on Friday that Russia and North Korea denied allegations of involvement in an arms deal.