EU 'deeply concerned' about North Korea's military assistance to Russia

Friday, 3 November 2023, 19:01

The European External Action Service on 3 November has reacted to evidence that North Korea has delivered hundreds of thousands of artillery shells and other military equipment to Russia to continue its aggression against Ukraine.

Source: European External Action Service, as reported by European Pravda

The European Union expressed "deep concern" over reports of arms transfers and military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia for use in Russia's "illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine".

Quote: "The EU strongly condemns any such arms transfers. The EU urges the DPRK and Russia to refrain from any exchanges of military equipment or ammunition and abide by the successive UN Security Council resolutions, …, clearly prohibiting any arms exports or imports involving the DPRK."

The European External Action Service added that Russia's violations of UN Security Council resolutions that Russia had itself supported, and its deepening ties with the DPRK, "reflect its increasing isolation, despair and the effectiveness of the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia."

Background:

  • In October, the White House reported that North Korea had transferred a thousand containers of "military equipment" to Russia.
  • South Korea's military intelligence said that the DPRK has provided Russia with more than a million artillery shells for use in the war against Ukraine and has sent advisers to Russia on the use of ammunition, which will last for about two months.
  • In addition, Moscow may have received an "unspecified number" of short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles and man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, as well as rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and shells.
  • Pyongyang has one of the world's largest stockpiles of artillery shells and missiles that are compatible with the Soviet-era weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. Cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has intensified as both countries find themselves in global isolation, with Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin holding a summit in Russia in September.

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