North Korea denies sending arms to Russia amid Ukraine war
North Korea says it hasn’t exported any weapons supplies to Russia during the war in Ukraine, and has no plans to do so in the future
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it hasn’t exported any weapons to Russia during the war in Ukraine and has no plans to do so, and said U.S. intelligence reports of weapons transfers were an attempt to tarnish North Korea's image.
In comments to state media on Thursday, an unidentified North Korean defense official told the U.S. to stop making “reckless remarks” and to “keep its mouth shut.” Biden administration officials earlier this month confirmed a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia was in the process of purchasing arms from North Korea, including millions of artillery shells and rockets.
North Korean arms exports to Russia would violate United Nations resolutions banning the country from importing or exporting weapons.
The North Korean official stressed that Pyongyang has never recognized the “unlawful” U.N. Security Council sanctions against the country “cooked up by the U.S. and its vassal forces.” The official said the export and import of military equipment is a “lawful right peculiar to a sovereign state,” according to an English translation of the statement provided by North Korea.
