The United States has imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man, Ashot Mkrtychev, who was reportedly involved in arranging a weapons sale between North Korea and Russia. The move comes as Russia seeks to replenish its depleted arms supplies following its war with Ukraine. The US Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions as part of its efforts to limit Russia’s ability to replace military equipment lost on the battlefield. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and North Korea. The White House expressed concern that North Korea will provide further support to Russia’s military operations against Ukraine, and that such a deal would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.
As Russia’s costly invasion of Ukraine has continued, the US has sought to isolate Russia economically and diplomatically. However, Russia has maintained relations with countries around the world who see it as an important ally and trading partner. Yellen said that the US would continue to crack down on Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions and obtain military equipment from countries like North Korea.
Mkrtychev is a Slovakian national who negotiated with officials in Russia and North Korea to forge a relationship of mutually beneficial cooperation. From 2022 to early 2023, he arranged for North Korean officials to furnish over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia. In exchange, he worked to have commercial aircraft, raw materials, and commodities delivered to North Korea. The negotiations were confirmed with senior Russian officials, indicating that preparations for a proposed deal were complete.
Thursday’s sanctions freeze any US-based assets held by the person designated and generally bar people in the US from having business dealings with them. North Korea is itself under heavy US sanctions, which can impact its ability to access various goods. The US will continue to monitor Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions and obtain military equipment from countries like North Korea.