Apparently targeting China and Russia for protecting North Korea despite launching staggering 59 missiles in 2022, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday said that the UN Security Council members have bent over backwards to justify Pyongyang's repeated violations, CNN reported.
While addressing the UN Security Council, Greenfield said, "These members have bent over backwards to justify North Korea's (DPRK's) repeated violations". She further added, "And, in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this Council.
"The DPRK, however, has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this Council," Thomas-Greenfield said. Although she did not name names, the accusations were clearly directed at Russia and China, CNN reported
Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile.
"For a UN Member State to so flagrantly violate the Security Council resolutions, and all that the UN Charter stands for is appalling," CNN quoted Greenfield as saying.
"Equally appalling is the Council's deafening silence on this issue," Thomas-Greenfield said.
The US envoy noted that "thirteen Council members have joined in condemning the DPRK's unlawful actions since the beginning of the year" and "have joined in voting to impose costs on the DPRK that would impede its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile pursuits while seeking new avenues to improve humanitarian assistance to the country's people," using the acronym for North Korea's official name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
After North Korea launched the missiles, the US said this action underscores the need to implement North Korea's related UN Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prohibit the country from acquiring the technologies needed to carry out missile tests.
"Together, with the international community, we call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue. Our commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
This statement follows the Yonhap news agency's report that North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and two short-range ones toward the East Sea.
Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests whereas North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said numerous times that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential.
Meanwhile, leaders during the QUAD summit which took place in Tokyo in May condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" ballistic missile launches and called on the international community to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
"We condemn North Korea's destabilizing ballistic missile development and launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile tests, in violation of UNSCRs, and call on the international community to fully implement these resolutions. We urge North Korea to abide by all of its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from provocations, and engage in substantive dialogue," said the joint statement by QUAD Leader following the summit hosted by Japan in Tokyo.
( With inputs from ANI )
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