Moscow seeking Iran, North Korea arms? Show us proof, says Russia

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia demanded on the United Nations on Thursday that the USA and Britain present proof to help their allegations that Moscow was searching for drones from Iran and rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to make use of in Ukraine.

“I wish to ask them now to both present us with proof or acknowledge that they’re disseminating unreliable info,” Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia instructed the 15-member Safety Council.

The USA has accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia to be used in its struggle in Ukraine, which Tehran has denied. Washington additionally accused Moscow of being “within the course of” of buying thousands and thousands of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, deputy U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills instructed the council.

“Russia is popping to Iran to provide UAVs (unmanned aerial automobiles) and, in a transparent violation of U.N. sanctions, to North Korea to provide ammunition,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned.

Russia known as the Safety Council assembly on Ukraine – the physique’s third in as many days – to debate the provision of international weapons to Kyiv. The USA, Britain, France and others defended the billions of {dollars} in army help delivered to Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24.

“Russia’s claims that the USA and the ‘West’ is escalating and prolonging this battle are false,” Mills mentioned. “They’re cynical makes an attempt to deflect consideration from Moscow’s position as the only real aggressor in what’s pointless and brutal struggle, for which the world is paying a collective value.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the invasion a “particular army operation” to disarm its neighbor and try and preemptively defend his nation’s safety towards the growth of NATO, the Western army alliance.

Ukraine on Thursday hailed a lightning counteroffensive it mentioned had recaptured swathes of its territory within the east and south, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the nation to pledge additional support.

“We’re very far nonetheless from the tip of this damaging course of,” Nebenzia instructed the council. “Western weaponry shouldn’t be enjoying a decisive position on the battlefield, no matter what the Ukrainians and their vassals are saying.”

Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya mentioned: “We’ll struggle towards the occupiers till all of the Russian troopers who entered Ukraine to kill its individuals are defeated.”

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; modifying by Grant McCool)