The United States, the European Union (EU) and nearly 50 countries on Tuesday accused North Korea of supplying missiles to Russia and called for an immediate end to this cooperation.
Last week, the American administration of Joe Biden denounced these missile shipments, which it said were used by Russia in its recent large-scale attacks on Ukraine, as Pyongyang has long been the subject of international sanctions over its military and nuclear activities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell and 47 foreign ministers “strongly condemned” North Korean support for Russia.
“The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia's war of aggression and undermines the global non-proliferation system,” they said in a joint statement.
In their opinion, the delivery of missiles represents a “flagrant” violation of the sanctions imposed on North Korea by the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.
“We are closely monitoring what Russia is providing to North Korea in exchange for these weapons,” the press release signatories added, calling on the two countries to respect U.N. resolutions and “immediately cease all activities that violate them.”
The 47 signatory states are close partners of the United States, including South Korea, Japan and Israel, which Washington is supporting militarily in its devastating war in Gaza despite urgent international calls for a ceasefire.
Following the unprecedented bloody attack on its soil by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, Israel launched a bombing campaign and a major ground offensive in Gaza.