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A military parade in Pyongyang

Photo: DPA/KCNA

With its veto in the UN Security Council, Russia has put an end to the control of the United Nations sanctions against North Korea. The Russian delegation voted against the extension of the UN panel of experts, which monitors the sanctions that have existed since 2006 and were later tightened several times.

China abstained from voting on the corresponding resolution in New York, while all 13 other member states of the body voted in favor. However, if a permanent member of the Council, like Russia, votes against a resolution, then it cannot be passed. The veto means, at least for now, the end of the expert committee when its mandate expires in April, but not the end of the sanctions.

The West is trying to strangle North Korea, said Russian UN Ambassador Wassili Nebensja, explaining his country's no vote. The USA, France, South Korea, Japan and Great Britain emphasized their “deep disappointment” with the outcome of the vote in a joint statement after the meeting. Russia wants to end independent verification of compliance with sanctions because it needs military support for its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Moscow's veto in the Security Council does not lift sanctions against North Korea, but it does mean the end of the group that monitors their implementation. The joint statement by ten UN Security Council members said that the work of the expert panel was more important than ever given "repeated attempts to undermine peace and security worldwide (...)".

In its most recent report, published in early March, the sanctions monitoring board said it was investigating reports that North Korea was supplying Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine. It was also said that North Korea continued to violate the sanctions - including by testing ballistic missiles and violating import restrictions on oil.

North Korea has significantly increased its missile tests in the past two years and has also increased its rhetoric against South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang sees as its main enemies. South Korea expanded its military cooperation with the USA.

svs/dpa/AFP