War in Ukraine: Russian paramilitary group Wagner has bought weapons from North Korea, according to the US.
The White House said Thursday that the Russian paramilitary group Wagner received an initial shipment of weapons from North Korea to support Russian troops in the offensive in Ukraine, while the Kremlin condemned the US deployment of Patriot air defense missiles to Kiev. system.
Not enough weapons to source from elsewhere? According to Washington, Wagner would bring weapons from North Korea. The American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he saw an increased role for Wagner’s group in Russia’s presentation of a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
A spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council confirmed North Korea’s first weapons delivery to Wagner’s group, condemning it as a violation of international sanctions targeting Pyongyang.
New sanctions
John Kirby added in a press briefing that Washington is concerned that North Korea is preparing to supply additional weapons to the Russian paramilitary group. According to him, new US sanctions will be announced against the Wagner Group and its network.
The head of the Wagner Group called the US statements “gossip“Everyone knows that North Korea has not been supplying weapons to Russia for a long time. And no such step has been taken,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in his statement.
Referring to the official KCNA news agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Korea denied that there was any arms trade with Russia, calling the elements reported by the Japanese media “absurd”.
Limited impact
According to available information, the United States believes that the amount of weapons supplied by Pyongyang will have only a limited impact on the dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine, an American official told Reuters.
“Last month, North Korea delivered anti-personnel missiles and rockets to Russia for Wagner.
U.S. estimates nearly 50,000 Wagner mercenaries deployed in Ukraine, official says, and Russian paramilitary group believed to have played major role in Bakhmut attack
End my war
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said on Thursday that he wants the war with Ukraine to end, and that the end of any conflict is through negotiations.
These statements come a day after Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House. The President of Ukraine, who made his first trip abroad since the beginning of the war, met with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, and he emphasized the solidarity of the United States.
Russia reiterates that it is ready for dialogue, but Ukraine and its allies see it as a time-consuming tactic after a series of setbacks since Russian troops launched an offensive on February 24.
Moscow is ensuring that Kiev refuses any negotiations, while Ukraine has made the return of territories occupied by Russia a precondition.
“We do not want to ignite a military conflict, on the contrary, we want to end this war,” Vladimir Putin told reporters. “We are working on it and the sooner the better.”
The antidote to the Patriot missile
“All armed conflicts in one way or another end with some form of negotiations through the diplomatic channel,” the Russian president added. “At one point, all the parties to the conflict between the states sit down and make an agreement. The sooner those who are against us understand this, the better.”
Vladimir Putin also said that he interprets the US decision to bring the Patriot system to Ukraine as prolonging the conflict. He was optimistic that Russia could oppose this system.
“An antidote will always be found,” the Russian president assured, saying the American system was “obsolete” and not as effective as Russia’s S-300 system.
Earlier in the day, a Kremlin spokesman said the delivery of the Patriot system would not help resolve the conflict or prevent Russia from achieving its goals.
During a conference with journalists, Dmitry Peskov also felt that during Volodymyr’s visit, there was no call for peace or any sign of a desire to “listen to Russia’s concerns.” States are indirectly waging war with Russia using Ukrainians.
Considered one of America’s most advanced defense devices, the Patriot is particularly capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles. It will take several months for its deployment, and time for Ukrainian troops to be trained in its use.
Moscow has said that once the Patriot systems are operational, they will be a legitimate target for Russian strikes.
