Noboa says he didn’t know Russian weapons delivered to the U.S. would be destined for Ukraine

Noboa also confirmed that Ecuador will not deliver Russian military equipment to the United States.

He said this five days after the Russian ambassador, Vladimir Sprinchan, on February 16, reported that in a meeting held that day, Noboa confirmed to him that Ecuador would not carry out the exchange agreed with the United States.

Noboa has told CNN that he learned that the Russian weaponry he had pledged to deliver to the United States would go to Russia from statements by Kevin Sullivan, deputy assistant secretary for the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

“We don’t want to triangulate weaponry,” Noboa said. “To our surprise, the United States publicly communicated that this was going to be taken to the armed conflict in Ukraine, we do not want to be part of it,” he said.

Scrap

Noboa also said that Russia “is right” and that Ecuador will not violate any international treaties.

The country learned of the Noboa government’s agreement with the United States after it was warned by Russia in late January.

“They (Russia) allege that it is war material, that it is war equipment. We have verified that it is scrap metal and, within international conventions, war material cannot be transported in this case, but scrap metal of this type can be transported,” Noboa told Ecuavisa journalist Lenin Artieda, when asked about the Russian position.

“We are not going to cut relations with Russia. I think that the position they are maintaining is not an adequate position, since we are also living through a war here,” he added at the time.