On the 21st (local time), the U.S. government pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s gift of a Russian-made luxury car to North Korean Workers’ Party Secretary General Kim Jong-un was a violation of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
In response to a related question at a briefing that day, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he had also seen the report and said, “If it is true, it appears that Russia has once again violated the Security Council resolution that they also supported.”
Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North Korean Workers’ Party, reported on the 20th (Korean time) that Party Secretary Park Jong-cheon and Party Vice-Minister Kim Yo-jong received the Russian-made passenger car sent by President Putin to General Secretary Kim from Russia on the 18th.
Afterwards, the Russian Kremlin announced that it had gifted Secretary General Kim his favorite Russian-made luxury car, the Aurus.
Spokesperson Miller reminded that the UN Security Council resolution on North Korea prohibits all member states from providing transportation or luxury cars to North Korea.
He said, “Honestly, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a ‘Russian luxury car.’ “I hope Kim Jong-un extends the car warranty period,” he joked.
He continued, “Even if there were no sanctions issues, if I wanted to buy a luxury car, I don’t think I would find it in Russia.”
Regarding the arms watchdog’s findings that the ballistic missiles that Russia received from North Korea and used to attack Ukraine contained many parts from American and European companies, Spokesperson Miller said, “We believe that North Korea has illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.” “We will continue to use all relevant tools, including export controls, sanctions, blocking, and law enforcement, to prevent us from obtaining sensitive goods and technologies that could be used for commercial purposes.”
(Washington = News 1)
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.