On Friday, the US charged China and Russia for obstructing a coordinated UN Security Council response to North Korea’s missile launches, including Pyongyang’s attempt to launch a spy satellite on Thursday.
All but Moscow and Beijing spoke out against Pyongyang’s second spy satellite test in three months, which employed ballistic missile technology, at a special Security Council meeting.
“This should be an issue that unifies us. … But since the beginning of 2022, this Council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China and Russia’s obstructionism,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“The DPRK’s nuclear threat is growing, and Russia and China are not living up to their responsibility to maintain international peace and security,” she added, using the initials for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
Thomas-Greenfield also criticized the Chinese and Russian representatives who attended a military demonstration in North Korea last month that displayed brand-new drones and intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
“They are celebrating — celebrating — violations of Security Council resolutions and continuing to block Council action,” Thomas-Greenfield said of Moscow and Beijing.
In May 2022, China and Russia vetoed a resolution imposing new sanctions on Pyongyang, and no resolution or declaration by the Security Council on North Korea has been adopted since.
The last unified Security Council action on North Korea took place in 2017.
