North Korea-Armed Russia's Wagner Sends Open Letter to White House... "What Crime?"

'Putin's Chef' Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, sent a public letter to the White House on the 21st (local time) raising objections after being sanctioned by the U.S. for receiving weapons from North Korea.

According to Reuters, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group known as "Putin's Chef," posted a message on his Telegram channel on the same day asking, "Mr. Kirby, could you clarify exactly what crimes Wagner is accused of?" This is interpreted as a response to John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, who the day before had abruptly released photos as evidence that North Korea supplied weapons to Wagner and designated the Wagner Group as an "international criminal organization," announcing additional sanctions. Coordinator Kirby also criticized the Wagner Group as a "criminal organization committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses."

Earlier last month, the White House stated that North Korea violated United Nations Security Council resolutions by selling infantry rockets, missiles, and other weapons and ammunition to the Wagner Group. However, North Korea responded to related reports by calling them "absurd fabrications" and completely denied the allegations. The U.S. had already imposed sanctions related to trade with the Wagner Group in 2017 and December of last year to prevent them from acquiring weapons. In particular, Prigozhin, classified as a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been wanted for alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election. The European Union (EU) also imposed its own sanctions on the Wagner Group in 2021 for its activities in Ukraine and several African countries.