The United States on Wednesday accused China and Russia of favoring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by shielding Pyongyang from attempts to tighten UN Security Council sanctions imposed over its weapons programs. nuclear and ballistic missiles.
“The DPRK (North Korea) has enjoyed the blanket protection of two members of this council,” said US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. “In short, two permanent members of the Security Council have favored Kim Jong Un.”
The 15-member Council met on Wednesday to discuss North Korea, after the nuclear-armed country fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday. and that prompted a warning for residents of that country to take cover. nL6N31504N
China and Russia were not in favor of a public meeting of the Council, arguing that it would not contribute to alleviating the situation
China’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang, said the Security Council should play a constructive role “instead of relying solely on strong rhetoric or pressure.”
“Discussions and deliberations should contribute to de-escalation, instead of fueling escalation. They should promote the resumption of dialogue instead of widening differences and forge unity instead of creating divisions,” he said.
In May, China and Russia vetoed a US-led initiative to impose further UN sanctions on North Korea over its new ballistic missile launches, publicly dividing the UN Security Council for the first time since it began punishing North Korea. Pyongyang in 2006.
Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN Anna Evstigneeva told the Security Council that “introducing new sanctions against the DPRK is a dead end” and brings “zero results.”
“We are convinced that the UN and Security Council mechanisms should be used to support inter-Korean dialogue and multilateral negotiations, rather than become an impediment,” he said.
