The White House on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man who was found to be setting up an arms deal between Russia and North Korea.
Secret Deal
US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the Biden administration had “new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea.”
Kirby further divulged that a 56-year-old Slovakian national named Ashot Mkrtychev had been facilitating arms and related sales and barter deals between the two countries since late last year, up until early 2023.
“With the support of Russian officials, Mkrtychev has been attempting to broker a secret arms agreement between Russia and North Korea,” he said.
The US official added that in exchange, Pyongyang would receive cash, commercial aircraft, commodities, and raw materials from Moscow.
Russia aims to send a delegation to North Korea as part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to acquire more weapons from Pyongyang.
— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) March 30, 2023
"Russia is seeking to send a delegation to NK. And that Russia is offering NK food in exchange for munitions" - John Kirby. #StopRussianAggression
Kirby further said that Russia is looking into sending a delegation to North Korea and is offering the Asian country food in exchange for ammunition. However, he did not specify whether any deals had been finalised, or which weapons were involved.
The spokesperson underscored that any arms deal between the two countries “would directly violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions.”
Due to the sanctions, Mkrtychev will “face significant challenges in attempting to access and abuse the international financial system now that his activities have been exposed,” Kirby said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that Washington’s move was a reflection of its commitment to “continue to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from [North Korea] or any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine.”