The United Nations this week authorized a Russian bank to release approximately four million Euros to North Korea’s sanctioned Foreign Trade Bank in order to urgently support UN Country Team operations on the ground there, sources have confirmed to NK Pro.

Russia’s Bank Sputnik, which until last year had provided the only remaining international banking channel between North Korea and the outside world, was permitted to make a transfer of 3,974,920.62 Euros to the FTB in Pyongyang after an exemption was provided by the UN’s 1718 Committee.

The exemption, which does not necessarily restore