North Korea suspected of providing more weapons to Russia-苹果im虚拟机

North Korea suspected of providing more weapons to Russia

2024-05-28 22:33:01

The<strong></strong> captured image shows a photo released by the U.S. National Security Council on Jan. 20, showing a set of Russian railcars traveling between Russia and North Korea on Nov. 18-Nov. 19, 2022 for the suspected delivery of North Korean military equipment to Russia's private military company, known as the Wagner Group. Yonhap

The captured image shows a photo released by the U.S. National Security Council on Jan. 20, showing a set of Russian railcars traveling between Russia and North Korea on Nov. 18-Nov. 19, 2022 for the suspected delivery of North Korean military equipment to Russia's private military company, known as the Wagner Group. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

Concerns are growing that North Korea may provide more weapons to Russia as there are signs of the two countries forging closer ties involving weapons trade.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the United States had confirmed a North Korean arms delivery, including infantry rockets and missiles to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group in November last year, despite Pyongyang's denial that it had sold weapons to Russia, which is now engaged in a war with Ukraine.

"We are concerned that the DPRK is planning to deliver more military equipment to Russia," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters. The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The U.S. has been criticizing the purported North Korean arms support to Russia. In April, the U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs to United Nations Robert Wood condemned arms transfers from the North to Russia for directly violating Security Council resolutions.

"Russia has also turned to rogue regimes to try to unlawfully obtain weapons and equipment to support its military operations," Wood said at that time. "In November 2022, the DPRK delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, and we know Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from the DPRK."

Recently, Pyongyang and Moscow have been strengthening their ties in what appears to be a move to counter a U.S. effort to bolster trilateral security cooperation involving South Korea and Japan.

According to a report by U.N. Security Council Committee 1718 on North Korea, which was released on June 9, Russia reported 67,300 barrels of refined petroleum transferred to North Korea from December 2022 to April this year. The transfer in December was the first in 27 months after Moscow reported to the committee that it transferred 255.4 barrels of refined petroleum.

In 2017, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2397 and has been limiting the North Korean import of refined petroleum to 500,000 barrels in 12 months, and obligating countries to report the provision of petroleum to Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their summit in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Yonhap

Experts assume that the oil transfers are Russia's compensation for North Korea's arms support.

"The resumed oil transfer implies two things. One is that the North has resumed its overseas trade after it sealed its border to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the other is that it can be Russia's compensation to North Korea for its arms support," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

"Refined petroleum is the easiest support for Russia to give and one of the most needed supplies for North Korea as well. And chances are high that the North has provided conventional weapons to Russia."

Park said the U.S. has been repeatedly making accusations that the North is supplying weapons to Russia, and Washington is anticipated to provide stronger evidence supporting that accusation.

"If the North acknowledges its arms supply to Russia, it means Pyongyang will be branded as a hostile nation by all the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries," Park said. "This is not what North Korea wants."

So far, the North has been denying any arms support to Russia. In January, when the U.S. revealed a photograph indicating North Korea delivered weapons to Wagner Group, Pyongyang released a statement denying that, saying: "the U.S. will face an uninteresting outcome if it continues to spread rumors."

（作者：汽车电瓶）

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