The White House announces: Wagner will be recognized as an international crime syndicate
White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told a daily press briefing that the Russian mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin would be recognized by the US Treasury Department as an “international criminal organization would be”.
Kirby said the Wagner group has become a central force in the field, citing disagreements between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner group.
Expressing that they will impose additional sanctions on the Wagner group and its supporters on different continents, Kirby also shared satellite photos showing that North Korea gave weapons to the Wagner group for use in Ukraine last year. According to the photos he shared, Kirby claimed that North Korean arms shipments were loaded into containers by train and delivered to Russia.
Kirby condemned these actions by North Korea, noting that arms transfers from North Korea were in direct violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. John Kirby claimed that they informed the UN about this issue.
“WAGNER HAS 50,000 FIGHTERS IN UKRAINE”
Kirby claimed that the Russian mercenary group Wagner currently has 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, 10,000 contracted and 40,000 convicted, and that Wagner has begun to play a central role in the field.
Expressing that they have information that the Wagner group also had disagreements with Russian Defense Ministry officials, Kirby said that Russia turned to different countries for arms exports due to the sanctions they imposed on it.
In this context, Kirby said they documented Russia buying weapons from North Korea for use in Ukraine and shared satellite photos of the wagons they thought were carrying rockets and missiles.
Noting that North Korea has so far denied supplying Wagner with weapons, Kirby said the relevant photographs show that the trains departing from Russia arrived in North Korea on November 18, 2022, and that on November 19, 2022, containers loaded with North Korean weapons He claimed showed that he had been shipped back to Russia.
Kirby claimed that the equipment provided to Wagner did not change the dynamics in the field in Ukraine and, on the other hand, stated that they thought North Korea would continue to send weapons.
CALL TO STOP ARMS SHIPMENTS TO NORTH KOREA
“We urge North Korea to immediately stop these deliveries to Wagner.” Kirby said they would impose further sanctions on Wagner in this context. Kirby has not yet explained the scope of the sanctions and stated that they prefer to take the issue to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Kirby reminded Ukraine of the additional $2.5 billion in military aid from the army’s inventory announced yesterday and stressed that they will continue to provide necessary support to Ukraine to defend itself.
Stating that the US Treasury Department’s declaration of Wagner as an “international criminal organization” and the sanctions that will be imposed will help restrict the activities of such an organization internationally and help other countries take similar steps , Kirby said, on the other hand, that the scope of aid to Ukraine will be given under the responsibility of each country under its own sovereignty. He said it was a decision.
Kirby, regarding Ukraine’s possible operation regarding Crimea, noted that Crimea is part of Ukraine, and the person who will make this decision is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his military leaders.
LULA WILL VISIT THE USA
John Kirby reiterated the United States’ support for Brazilian democracy and Lula, and confirmed that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will come to the United States in early February.
Referring to the instability in Haiti, Kirby noted that talks are continuing with different countries about the international peacekeeping force that is planned to be sent to this country to prevent the increasing acts of violence by criminal organizations and gangs in Haiti, but will not pronounce on this topic yet.
Recalling that Congress imposed restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia because of the OPEC+ group’s decision to reduce daily oil production, Kirby said that discussions on this issue continue, but on the other hand, Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner. .
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre also announced that President Joe Biden will meet with Democratic congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday, January 24. Indicating that Biden also expects to meet with House Speaker Jean-Pierre, Jean-Pierre stated that the date of this meeting is not yet clear. (AA)