– Washington targets Pyongyang over arms sales to Russia
The United States and allied countries accused North Korea on Friday of “illegal arms transfers” to Russia, which allegedly used them against Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.
AFP
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The United States and allied countries accused North Korea on Friday of violating arms control measures by selling, according to Washington, missiles to Russia used in the war in Ukraine. Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood has denounced “illegal arms transfers” from North Korea to Russia, as the two countries establish increasingly close ties.
“We condemn in the strongest terms these illegal transfers, which have contributed significantly to Russia’s ability to wage war against Ukraine,” Wood said ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the issue. North Korea’s arms and ammunition supply violates Security Council resolutions of 2006, 2009 and 2016 on the issue, he said.
Jonah Leff of Conflict Armament Research (CAR), which tracks the use of weapons in wars, told the Security Council he had found evidence of North Korean ballistic missiles being used in Ukraine. He added that similar missiles had also struck Kiev and Zaporizhzhia earlier this year. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia denied the accusations and objected to the presence of Ukraine and the European Union at the meeting.
“No reason to worry”
Moscow and Pyongyang forged ties with a mutual defense agreement ten days ago, during a visit by Vladimir Putin to the North Korean capital. North Korea’s U.N. ambassador, Kim Song, told the Security Council there was ‘no reason for concern’ and the signed deal was aimed at ‘promoting progress’ in relations between the two countries.
Washington was joined by its allies France and Britain in condemning North Korea’s arms deliveries to Russia in violation of sanctions. Vladimir Putin, for his part, criticized the United States for its military support for Ukraine and said last week that he did not rule out sending weapons to North Korea.
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