North Korea Vows to Press on with Nuclear Agenda
Russia denies trade violations
Russia has denied claims that UN sanctions against North Korea have been breached by Russian tankers transferring fuel to the regime’s tankers at sea. The statement from the foreign ministry said Russia has “fully and strictly observed the sanctions regime”. It came in response to a
Reuters report citing two separate, unidentified western European security sources who said ship-toship transfers took place in October and November and represented a breach of sanctions.
The statement did not address whether the ships had transferred the fuel. It did however say resolutions by the UN security council had imposed limits on North Korea’s refined oil imports but had not banned them altogether. On Saturday, North Korea announced it would continue to enhance its nuclear capabilities, with state media declaring the Communist state an “invincible” and “responsible” nuclear power. “Do not expect any change in its policy. Its entity as an invincible power can neither be undermined nor be stamped out,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
“The US persistently moves against the DPRK (North Korea) in political, economic, military, diplomatic and all other fields till the end of this year could not stop even a moment the advance of the DPRK confident in the victory of its cause.”
The security council has unanimously approved several rounds of sanctions against North Korea over its missile tests and nuclear program, including a tough resolution earlier this month. The resolution included sharply reduced limits on North Korea’s refined oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country.
It didn’t include even harsher measures sought by the US that would ban all oil imports and freeze the international assets of the government and its leader, Kim Jong-un.
The two security sources quoted by Reuters cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian far eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details. Ship satellite positioning data consulted by Reuters and available on Reuters Eikon reportedly showed unusual movements and behaviour by some of the Russian vessels named by the security sources including switching off the transponders which give a precise location.