Russia blocks extension of UN monitoring of North Korea’s nuclear program: “This undermines peace and security” | Abroad

The Security Council imposed sanctions on the authoritarian country in 2006 over its nuclear weapons program. These measures have been tightened a number of times since then. Since 2019, Russia and China have tried to relax those sanctions without an end date. China abstained from Thursday’s vote. The other thirteen members of the UN Security Council voted in favor of the extension.

According to Russian UN representative Vassili Nebenzia, the experts focus on “irrelevant issues that are disproportionate to the problems the country is facing.” Russia also asked other member states to evaluate the sanctions “openly and honestly.” The mandate of the current group of experts expires on April 30, according to the Reuters news agency.

The US called Russia’s veto a “tainted barter”. “What Russia has done today undermines world peace and security,” said US spokesman Matthew Miller. “The decision should further a tainted swap deal that Moscow made with North Korea.”

What Russia has done today undermines world peace and security

US spokesman Matthew Miller

In the latest report from early March, the UN experts again emphasize that North Korea continues to flout sanctions. For example, the country is working on a nuclear program and launches ballistic missiles every so often. The reporters also said they were investigating US allegations about arms transfers from North Korea to Russia for the war in Ukraine.