Europe will impose sanctions against North Korea over alleged arms sales to Russia
The European Union has proposed introducing restrictive measures against North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam and the Republic's Main Missile Directorate due to Pyongyang's alleged supplies of missiles to Russia. Bloomberg reported this with reference to documents at its disposal.
The EU materials state that “ballistic missiles designed, developed and produced” in the DPRK were used against Ukraine. As the agency notes, the proposed restrictions, in particular the travel ban and asset freeze, will be largely symbolic. On January 26, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow categorically rejects any attempts by Washington and its allies to accuse Russia of illegal military-technical cooperation with the DPRK. The foreign ministers of 47 countries, including the United States, members of the European Union, as well as a number of their partners, published a joint statement in early January condemning Russia's purchase of ballistic missiles from the DPRK and their "use against Ukraine." Hungary and Slovakia were the only EU countries that did not sign this document. On February 7, the EUobserver portal reported that Brussels is going to include “several dozen” Belarusian and Russian officers in the 13th package of sanctions against Russia. According to the portal, a number of non-EU firms that allegedly help Russia obtain some weapons components may also be included in the sanctions lists. Earlier, South Korea also warned Pyongyang and Moscow about the consequences of violating UN Security Council resolutions through arms deals and military cooperation. South Korea's National Security Council said that "North Korea and Russia will pay the price for any actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions and pose a serious threat to our security." South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-seok said Seoul plans to consult with the United Nations and other friendly countries about countermeasures. According to the South Korean diplomat, possible military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang poses a serious threat to South Korea. Also, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the administration of US President Joe Biden will not hesitate to impose additional sanctions against Russia and North Korea if any new arms deal is concluded between the two countries.
