Slovak national Ashot Mkrtychev sanctioned by the US for alleged attempts to facilitate arms deals between Moscow and Pyongyang said on Friday that he was just engaged in supplies of food products and medical goods from Russia to North Korea
BRATISLAVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) Slovak national Ashot Mkrtychev sanctioned by the US for alleged attempts to facilitate arms deals between Moscow and Pyongyang said on Friday that he was just engaged in supplies of food products and medical goods from Russia to North Korea.
On Thursday, the US Department of Treasury said that it had imposed sanctions on Mkrtychev for his alleged efforts to facilitate the arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang in violation of US restrictions. In particular, the Slovak citizen is accused of holding talks with North Korean officials on obtaining over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for materials ranging from commercial aircraft, raw materials, and commodities, according to the US department.
"I want to supply flour, wheat, chocolate, canned food from Russia. For a long time, we have purchased these products from China, but it is expensive there. Russia used to export goods to the West, but is now unable to do that, so they have surplus they want to sell. I do not sell arms, I do not have a firm and a license for that. I am surprised by this (sanctions)," Mkrtychev was quoted by the Markiza broadcaster as saying.
In 2002, Mkrtychev was accused of allegedly ordering the murder of his competitor in arms sales, though his guilt was never proven in court, according to the broadcaster.
In late December, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that the US has information about deliveries of weapons from North Korea to Russia so as to use them in Ukraine.
In an interview with Rossiya 24 and RIA Novosti in February, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia's defense industry is working fine, when asked to comment on claims North Korea was helping Moscow with weapons in Ukraine.
