Russia supplies refined oil to North Korea in volumes that exceed the limits set by the UN Security Council. Washington is preparing to introduce new sanctions against those involved in this.
This was stated by the coordinator of the National Security Council of the US White House John Kirby at a briefing with journalists.
The UN has set an annual limit on the supply of petroleum products to the DPRK at the level of 500 000 barrels. This was done to fight Pyongyangʼs nuclear program.
Only in March, Russia sent more than 165 000 barrels of refined oil to North Korea. It can do this indefinitely due to the proximity of Russian and North Korean trading ports.
The delivery came a day after a UN panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea was disbanded after Russia blocked its resumption of work.
John Kirby emphasized that the United States will introduce sanctions against anyone who facilitates the transfer of weapons and oil products between the Russian Federation and North Korea. The U.S. will work with Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the U.K. to further curtail oil supplies.
"Russiaʼs actions are unprecedented for a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and they violate the long-standing consistent efforts of the UN Security Council to support denuclearization and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons," Kirby summarized.
- In January 2023, the United States released evidence that North Korea had been supplying Russia with weapons since at least November 2022. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence (known as GUR)Kyrylo Budanov stated at the beginning of 2024 that the DPRK is now the largest supplier of weapons to Russia.
- On January 4, 2024, Western media wrote that Russia had received a batch of ballistic missiles from North Korea (several dozen) and launchers for them. On the same day, the US officially announced that Russia had short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea and was launching them at Ukraine. On January 10, South Koreaʼs ambassador to the UN said that North Korea is using Ukraine as a testing ground for its ballistic missiles with the help of Russia.
- On February 23, 2024, the GUR announced that North Korea had transferred one and a half million artillery ammunition to Russia.
- The Financial Times wrote that Russia supplies oil directly to North Korea in defiance of UN sanctions, and in return receives containers with weapons, including ammunition.