Three countries have halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia while the U.S. has stuck by the kingdom after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Finland and Denmark joined Germany this week in halting all future arms sales and sending of military equipment to the Saudi government. Germany and Denmark cited the killing of Khashoggi while Finland said in a statement much of its decision was related to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
The October killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul sparked criticism by leaders across the globe.
Some countries have taken steps to block future arms sales with the regime over the killing and its war in Yemen, which has killed thousands, including children, and left millions at risk of starvation.
In a televised interview on Thursday, Denmark’s foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, called the Saudi regime “destructive in many fields” and said it was halting exports of military equipment because of “the continued worsening of the already terrible situation in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”
Samuelsen said he hoped “the Danish decision can create further momentum and get more European Union countries to support tight implementation of the E.U.’s regulatory framework in this area,” according to the Associated Press.
The AP reports in 2017, Denmark’s overall exports to Saudi Arabia were about 5.08 billion kroner, or $763 million.
Finland’s Foreign Ministry made a similar announcement, also Thursday, saying it wouldn’t allow any future arms export licenses to sell materials to the Saudi government. The country specifically cited the worsening crisis in Yemen.
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