The U.S. State Department has criticized the visit by a Russian delegation to North Korea as a show of support by Moscow for Pyongyang’s unlawful weapons development program.

Department spokesperson Vedant Patel issued the criticism on Thursday during a press briefing when asked about visits by Russian and Chinese delegations to the reclusive regime for the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.

Russia sent a delegation led by defense minister Sergei Shoigu, while Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong led the group from Beijing.

Patel said that Russia's support for the North’s unlawful weapons programs in obstructing additional action at the UN Security Council and by attending events in Pyongyang celebrating the weapons highlights how detrimental the country has become to preserving international peace and security.

The spokesperson also said that the U.S. believes that China has influence over North Korea, adding that it hopes Beijing will use that influence to encourage Pyongyang to return to dialogue and refrain from destabilizing activities.

Patel said that the U.S. is also very concerned about the fact that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed off the North’s weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, to the Russian defense minister.