UK sanctions companies involved in arms-for-oil trade between Russia and North Korea News
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UK sanctions companies involved in arms-for-oil trade between Russia and North Korea

The UK government imposed a new sanction package on Friday targeting the “illicit arms-for-oil transfers between Russia and North Korea.”

Three companies and one individual found “enabling” this arms-for-oil trade have been subject to the sanction package. They are the North Korean company Paekyangsan Shipping Co. Ltd, the Russian companies Vostochnaya Stevedoring Co. LLC and Toplivo Bunkering Company (TBK), and TBK Director Aleksey Mikhailovich Vorotnikov.

On March 28, Russia vetoed the mandate renewal of the UN Security Council’s 1718 Committee of Panel of Experts, a UN panel that monitors North Korea. Russia had previously supported the renewal for 14 years.

North Korea has been subject to nine major sanctions resolutions by the UN Security Council since 2006. The resolutions have imposed sanctions on the trade of weapons and military equipment and have frozen assets on individuals known to be involved in nuclear programs. Countries, including the US, have also imposed additional unilateral economic sanctions on North Korea. The sanctions imposed by the UN aim to denuclearize North Korea. The UN sanctions outline:

All Member States are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer to the DPRK, through their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in their territories, of all arms and related material, including small arms and light weapons.

In its press release on Friday, the UK expressed criticism that Russia would breach UN sanctions on North Korea, especially since Russia voted in favor of the UN resolutions in the past. UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron stated:

Putin is straining every sinew to sustain his illegal war in Ukraine, even resorting to illicit ‘arms-for-oil’ trade deals with the DPRK, blatantly violating UN sanctions that Russia itself voted for, and vetoing UN Monitoring panels that report on their activity. We cannot-and we will not- stay silent as the DPRK and Russia engage in arms transfers. The UK will continue to hold the DPRK and Russia to account. We will work with our partners to protect the global non-proliferation regime and international peace and security.

Paekyangsan Shipping Co Ltd is allegedly involved in “the facilitation of DPRK military programmes by transferring petroleum products between Russia and DPRK.” TBK is allegedly allowing “vessels involved in the transfer of petroleum to DPRK to bunker in the Russian port of Vostochny.” Both will be subject to an asset freeze. Vostochnaya Stevedoring Co. LLC, which operates from the port of Vostochny and is a “prominent Russian provider of cargo services,” is subject to an asset freeze and a trust services sanction. Vorotnikov will also be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban.

The US Department of Treasury has also imposed sanctions on three Russian companies and two Russian individuals. Both Moscow and North Korea have denied the allegations of weapons trading between the countries.

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