Antony Blinken
Russia Seeks Arms-For-Food Deal With North Korea To Fight Ukraine, U.S. Says
Washington D.C./31.03.23/Turan: The Biden administration said on Thursday it has new evidence that Russia is seeking North Korean weapons to fuel the war in Ukraine, this time in a deal that would provide Pyongyang with food and other commodities in return, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department moved to announce new sanctions targeting Ashot Mkrtychev, a Slovakian man who it said attempted to facilitate the arm-for-food deal.
"This is the first designation in the DPRK sanctions program in response to Russia’s attempt to secure weapons from the DPRK," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
According to him, Mkrtychev worked with DPRK officials in an attempt to obtain more than two dozen different kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for materials ranging from commercial aircraft to raw materials and commodities to be sent to the DPRK. He also confirmed Russia’s readiness to receive military equipment from the DPRK with senior Russian officials.
"Today’s action is a clear message that the United States will not relent in targeting those who provide support to Russia’s aggression and brutal war against Ukraine." Blinken said. "We will continue to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from the DPRK or any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine," he concluded.
Alex Raufoglu
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- Finance
- 31 March 2023 12:00
Politics
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On December 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his birthday.
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The U.S. Embassy responded to the host of the "Həftə" ("Week") program, who once again accused the United States of pursuing an anti-Azerbaijani policy, using undiplomatic language.
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On Monday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who is currently on a working visit to Belgrade, was received by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service, during the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the "strategic partnership between the two countries" and emphasized the importance of mutual high-level visits.
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On December 23, a meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Serbia took place in Belgrade. During the final press conference, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric reported that the discussions focused on the development of tourism. "We are strengthening efforts to open direct air routes, as well as economic development and energy," said Djuric. The minister expressed confidence that cooperation between Serbia and Azerbaijan would become even closer and more intensive in the near future.
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