Russian military-industrial complex dismantles refrigerators for spare parts
Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN, James Kariuki (photo: Getty Images)
Due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economy has suffered losses of over 400 billion dollars due to sanctions. The military apparatus of the aggressor state has become so impoverished that it is now seeking weapons from other dictatorial regimes, such as North Korea, states James Kariuki, the permanent representative of the United Kingdom at the United Nations.
He reminded that Russia has lost more than half of the territories it seized since February 2022 and a fifth of its Black Sea Fleet.
"Now Russia’s defense industry strips down fridges for parts. It orders its weapons from the DPRK, in violation of multiple resolutions agreed in this Chamber, under this Russian Foreign Minister’s instruction. Its purchase and use of Iranian drones involves both states violating a Security Council resolution," Kariuki noted.
He also recalled that while representatives of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and around 80 other countries attended the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, the deputy head of Russia's National Security Council stated that peace is impossible as long as an independent state of Ukraine exists.
"That is not peace. That is subjugation, which would threaten Ukraine’s very existence as a state and usher in a new era of global instability. This is why the UK will continue to replenish Ukraine’s air defenses, to help it shield its civilians from these brutal attacks. Because Ukraine’s security matters for global security," said the UK's permanent representative to the UN.
Aid for Ukraine from the United Kingdom
On Monday, January 22, U.S. President Joe Biden discussed a range of issues, including assistance to Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak.
On January 12, during his visit to Kyiv, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed an agreement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on security guarantees.
Britain became the first country to sign such a document with Ukraine. Negotiations on similar agreements with Romania, Poland, and the United States have started.
The second round of negotiations on security guarantees between Ukraine and Britain took place on December 20.
