The White House on Friday said North Korea recently provided Russia with a shipment of weapons, raising concerns about the expanded military relationship between the two countries.
The White House showed a series of satellite images that it said indicate cargo from an ammunition depot in North Korea (DPRK) was loaded on to a Russian-flagged ship and then taken by rail to a depot near Russia's southwestern border. The delivery took place between September 7 and October 1, the US said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a rare summit last month at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian help for the secretive state's satellite programme.
In return for support, North Korea is seeking military assistance from Russia, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles and other advanced technologies, Kirby said.
The US is closely monitoring whether Moscow will deliver the weapons, but early signs of Russian ships offloading materials in North Korea may represent initial deliveries, he added.
The US said it will continue to enforce sanctions and make the case at the United Nations that the actions violate security council resolutions.
The United Nations on Tuesday dismissed as "ridiculous" an assertion by Israel that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).
United Nations officials who surveyed earthquake damage in Myanmar urged the global community to ramp up aid before the looming monsoon season worsens already catastrophic conditions, with the death toll at 2,719 and expected to surpass 3,000.
Syria suffered a nationwide power outage on Tuesday night due to malfunctions at several points in the national grid, a spokesperson from the energy ministry told Reuters.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division Brian Thompson in New York last year.
Aid groups in Myanmar on Tuesday described scenes of devastation and desperation after an earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, stressing an urgent need for food, water and shelter and warning the window to find survivors was fast closing.