Russia asks other countries to return arms it sold - WSJ

The Russian Federation is trying to buy back military equipment, parts, and shells from countries it has sold to in recent decades. Representatives of the Kremlin have recently turned to Pakistan, Egypt, Belarus, and Brazil for this purpose.

Relevant information was published in The Wall Street Journal. It notes that Russia has been the second largest arms exporter in the world for several decades.

"In April last year, a delegation of Russian officials who visited Cairo asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to return more than a hundred engines of Russian helicopters that Moscow needed for Ukraine," American journalists reported from insiders. At the same time, the Egyptian government refused to comment on such facts.

The article states that Russia's attempts to return its weapons are a way to compensate for the significant losses of expensive equipment, including combat aircraft, during the Ukrainian army's offensive in the southeast. Now that the situation on the battlefield is stagnant, Moscow is seeking to regain the initiative, although it is unclear whether the sold weapons will provide any advantage or ability to intensify attacks.

Nevertheless, the Russian side is determined, and in negotiations with Egypt, it promised to forgive foreign debt and provide food aid, including wheat supplies, which are critical for the African country, in exchange for weapons. And although Cairo is reluctant to give up its military potential, it is known that 150 engines are being prepared for shipment in December.

"Russia's need for weapons has also hit its exports, which in some cases has led to Moscow's failure to fulfill agreements, especially for ground forces weapons systems. Russian arms exports probably reached only $8 billion last year, almost half the 2021 level of $14.5 billion," the Western newspaper's experts noted.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un is massively closing his embassies in different countries, as he believes that he can make more profit from arms deals with Russia than from diplomatic missions. In October, North Korea already closed its embassies in Uganda and Angola. It is also expected to close its consulate general in Hong Kong and diplomatic missions in other countries.

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