The White House says arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia are “actively advancing.”

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby revealed the assessment on Wednesday as he cited an exchange of letters between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu visited the North.

Kirby noted that Shoigu visited the country last month around the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery to Moscow.

The spokesperson added that Kim and Putin exchanged letters pledging to boost their cooperation, adding that the U.S. had intelligence suggesting that another group of Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang after the defense minister's visit.

While stressing that any arms deals between the two countries would violate UN Security Council resolutions, Kirby said the U.S. calls on the North to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and observe all public commitments that it made to not provide or sell the country arms.

[Photo : YONHAP News]