EU, 10 countries condemn alleged illegal North Korea, Russia arms trade

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Several foreign ministers, along with the EU’s foreign policy chief, issued a joint statement Friday that condemned an alleged illegal arms trade between North Korea and Russia, according to the bloc.

This "coordinated effort" aims to hold both nations accountable for their violations and to impose significant sanctions on the "entities involved in the unlawful transfer of arms from the DPRK to Russia for use in attacking Ukraine," the EU’s Diplomatic Service said in a statement.

"Our governments stand in resolute opposition to these continued arms transfers, which Russia has used to strike Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people," according to the statement by Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, US, and the EU’s High Representative.

The EU said the ministers "are gravely concerned" about the growing cooperation between North Korea and Russia that they described as a "flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions."

The statement condemned "Russia's veto of a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts."

"By the use of its veto, Russia has sought to deprive all UN Member States of the objective and independent information and guidance they need to implement binding Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK which all remain in effect," it said.

The international leaders urged North Korea and Russia to immediately cease the illegal arms transfers and urged the North "to take concrete steps" to dismantle "all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and related programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner."

Additionally, the statement encouraged North Korea to engage in diplomatic efforts to achieve "enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula."

The EU also imposed sanctions Friday on nine North Korean individuals and entities for their involvement in the country's weapons program and support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

The sanctions include asset freezes, provision of funds or economic resources and travel bans.

-North Korea denies arms sales to Russia

Last year, several Western countries, primarily the US, interpreted high-level reciprocal visits between North Korea and Russia as indications of military cooperation and arms sales, and made numerous allegations in that regard.

North Korea has denied the allegations.

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has said the claims of the country's weapons systems being exported to Russia were based on a faulty perspective and fabrication, and Pyongyang had no intention of transferring or publicly disclosing military technology to any country.