US points fingers at Russia and China over North Korea’s latest actions

The United States is pointing fingers at Russia and China over North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches as it says the two countries are enabling the latter. Of the accusations, the US says the countries are protecting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by shielding him from more UN Security Council sanctions. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN, says two Security Council members have enabled Kim Jong Un.

“The DPRK (North Korea) has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council.”

According to The Straits Times, the 15-member council met yesterday after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday. The aircraft-destroying missile flew over Japan, prompting the country to warn residents to take cover. Nine Security Council members condemned North Korea’s government over its missile launching in a joint statement. Those countries were the US, France, Albania, Britain, Ireland, India, Brazil, United Arab Emirates and Norway.

But China’s deputy UN ambassador, Geng Shuang, said the Security Council needed to stop relying solely on strong rhetoric or pressure, and instead play a more constructive role.

“Discussions and deliberations should contribute to a detente, rather than fuelling escalation. They should promote the resumption of dialogue instead of widening differences and forge unity instead of creating divisions.”

China and Russia both vetoed a US-led push for the UN to impose more sanctions on North Korea over its renewed ballistic missile launches. The move in May publicly split the UN Security Council for the first time since its sanctions began on North Korea in 2006.

Russia also agreed with China saying the new sanctions against North Korea are a dead end and will bring zero results. North Korea has been banned from conducting nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Security Council. The Council also tried to cut off funding for those programmes. But China and Russia have suggested that the sanctions be eased to entice North Korea back to the tablto persuadeng Kim Jong Un to denuclearise. The two countries also blamed the US for provoking North Korea with their joint military exercises. Thomas-Greenfield, however, feels otherwise and says there is no comparison between the two actions.

“This is a clear effort by China and Russia to reward DPRK for their bad actions and cannot be taken seriously by this council.”

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