North Korea denies US accusation it supplied weapons to Russia

ANKARA

North Korea on Tuesday rejected the US allegations that Pyongyang is supplying weapons to Russia to help it in the ongoing war in Ukraine and called it a “hostile attempt to tarnish the image of the DPRK.”

In a statement, the vice director of Military Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of National Defense of North Korea accused Washington of spreading rumors against Pyongyang.

“Recently, the US is persistently spreading a groundless ‘rumor of arms dealings’ between the DPRK and Russia in a bid to make it a fait accompli at any cost,” said the official in a statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

“We regard such moves of the US as part of its hostile attempt to tarnish the image of the DPRK in the international arena by invoking the illegal ‘sanctions resolution’ of the UNSC against the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea),” the official added.

Pyongyang clarified that it has never had any arms deal with Russia and neither has any plan in the future to do so.

Last week, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby claimed that North Korea is secretly providing Russia with artillery shells in its war against Ukraine.

“Our information indicates that the DPRK is covertly supplying Russia's war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells," Kirby told reporters.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid

ANKARA

In a statement, the vice director of Military Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of National Defense of North Korea accused Washington of spreading rumors against Pyongyang.

Pyongyang clarified that it has never had any arms deal with Russia and neither has any plan in the future to do so.

Last week, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby claimed that North Korea is secretly providing Russia with artillery shells in its war against Ukraine.

“Our information indicates that the DPRK is covertly supplying Russia's war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells," Kirby told reporters.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid