North Korea has denied reports of arms sales to Russia
2022.12.23 02:12
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North Korea has denied reports of arms sales to Russia
Budrigannews.com – The official North Korean news agency, KCNA, reported on Friday that North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced the United States for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine and denied a media report that it supplied munitions to Russia, calling it “groundless.”
The Tokyo Shimbun of Japan reported earlier that North Korea had shipped artillery shells and other weapons to Russia by train through their border last month, and that additional shipments were anticipated in the coming weeks.
In a statement distributed by the KCNA, a ministry spokesperson stated, “The most absurd red herring, which is not worth any comment or interpretation is the false report that the DPRK offered munitions to Russia.”
On Thursday, the White House said that the North had completed the first arms delivery to the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, to support Russian forces in Ukraine.
Wagner was not mentioned in any way in the statement issued by the North Korean foreign ministry.
The White House claims that Wagner received infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea; however, Wagner’s owner Yevgeny Prigozhin called the claim “rumors and speculation.”
The North Korean spokesperson stated, “The DPRK remains unchanged in its principled stand on the issue of ‘arms transaction’ between the DPRK and Russia, which has never happened.” She also stated that the United States is “bringing bloodshed and destruction to Ukraine by providing it with various kinds of lethal weapons.”
The acronym DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is the North’s official name.
The North’s alleged arms deal with the Wagner Group was condemned by the South Korean foreign ministry, which emphasized that Pyongyang is prohibited from dealing in weapons by a U.N. Security Council resolution.
In a statement, the ministry said, “Our government has been communicating with the U.S. side on this, and supports the United States’ push to raise the issue at the U.N. Security Council.”
The North Korean foreign ministry also criticized the United States’ attempt to issue a presidential statement to the United Nations Security Council regarding its most recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in a separate statement.
The spokesperson said in the statement, “The DPRK has already and clearly warned that such foolish attempt of the U.S. may entail a very undesirable consequence,” describing the American move as a “very dangerous act” that the North “has to counter with action.”
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In defiance of international sanctions, North Korea has tested an unprecedented number of missiles this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the U.S. mainland.
