Poroshenko invites authors of controversial New York Times article to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gave instructions to invite the authors of the New York Times article on possible shipments of Ukrainian rocket engines to North Korea.
“I am grateful to the editorial staff of the New York Times for drawing the world’s attention to the potential of Ukraine’s missile and space complex. It is elegant, but not the best way. We do not pass on rocket technologies, and we support the international non-proliferation regime responsibly. I have given instructions to invite the article’s authors to visit Ukraine to meet with the Ukrainian partners who unjustly fell under baseless suspicion. This would be the right step from a respected news outlet, which treats the trust of its readership responsibly,” he wrote on Facebook.
With reference to an expert analysis containing the assessments of American intelligence agencies, the New York Times reported that North Korea’s success with intercontinental ballistic missile tests became possible thanks to the acquisition of rocket engines on the black market, probably from the Ukrainian factory Yuzhmash, which has historical ties to the Russian missile program. The source of this analysis was missile expert Michael Elleman from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The analysts who studied photographs of North Korea’s new rocket engines came to the conclusion that their source was the designs used to create the Soviet Union’s missile fleet. These engines were so powerful that one missile could carry 10 thermonuclear warheads from one continent to another. Such engines were connected to only a few select factories in former USSR territory, including Yuzhmash.
Yuzhmash has refuted the New York Times’ publication. The company stated that it never has and never will have any connection to the North Korean rocket program of a space-related or a defensive nature. During the years of independence, no missiles or military missile systems have been released by Yuzhmash.
Michael Elleman said later that he does not believe the Ukrainian government was involved in the shipment of the rocket engines to North Korea.
On Wednesday, Poroshenko gave instructions to have the information published by the New York Times checked.