Russia's veto ends UN sanctions monitoring on North Korea

In a move that drew swift condemnation from Western powers, Russia wielded its veto power at the United Nations on Thursday, effectively halting the monitoring of sanctions against North Korea, which have been in place since 2006 due to its nuclear program.

The decision, perceived by many as an attempt by Moscow to evade scrutiny amid allegations of breaching sanctions to procure weapons from Pyongyang for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, underscores the escalating tensions between Russia and the West.

The veto, cast during a vote on a resolution to extend the mandate of a panel of experts tasked with monitoring North Korea's sanctions compliance, signals a significant departure from past practices. The panel, whose mandate had been routinely renewed by the UN Security Council for 14 years, will cease operations when its current mandate expires at the end of April. Despite overwhelming support for the resolution from other council members, Russia's solitary opposition effectively brought the monitoring mechanism to a halt.

Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, justified the veto by accusing Western nations of attempting to suffocate North Korea with sanctions that have become detached from reality and ineffective in curbing nuclear proliferation. He criticized the panel of experts for allegedly aligning with Western biases and failing to provide objective assessments of the sanctions regime.

However, the United States, along with its allies, vehemently opposed Russia's veto, viewing it as a "self-interested effort to bury the panel's reporting on its own collusion," an attempt to stifle independent investigations that have recently shed light on Russia's own violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood underscored the essential nature of the panel's work, warning that Russia's actions would embolden North Korea to continue its destabilizing activities, including the development of long-range ballistic missiles and efforts to evade sanctions.

The White House condemned Russia's veto as reckless and detrimental to global security, particularly in light of the ongoing collaboration between North Korea and Russia. The concern is heightened as North Korea allegedly supplies Russia with weapons amid Moscow's aggression in Ukraine.

Echoing these sentiments, British and French ambassadors to the UN criticized Russia's veto as self-serving, highlighting the alleged arms deals between Russia and North Korea that violate UN sanctions. They emphasized the implications of Russia's actions for regional stability and the global nonproliferation regime.

Source: AFP