Russia has effectively disbanded a United Nations panel of experts responsible for monitoring sanctions against North Korea.
The panel recently launched an investigation into allegations that Russia breached regulations by purchasing North Korean weapons, such as ballistic missiles, for deployment in Ukraine.
Since 2006, the UN Security Council has implemented a series of sanctions against Pyongyang in response to its nuclear weapons program. Despite these ongoing restrictions, the expert group tasked with overseeing compliance will now be dissolved.
During a Security Council vote on Thursday, Russia utilized its veto power as a permanent member to thwart the panel’s renewal, while 13 of the other 14 member states present supported its continuation. Notably, China, North Korea’s key ally, opted to abstain from the vote.
Russia’s decision to block the panel renewal has elicited widespread condemnation from key Western allies including the US, UK, and South Korea. This move follows a year marked by prominent public engagements between leaders of Moscow and Pyongyang.
It is noteworthy that this is the first instance of Russia vetoing the renewal of the panel, which has enjoyed annual extensions by the UN Security Council for the past 14 years.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, took to social media to assert that Russia’s veto constituted an implicit admission of guilt, suggesting that Moscow was indeed utilizing North Korean weaponry in the ongoing conflict.
Representatives from the US, UK, and France echoed similar sentiments during the Council session, alleging that Russia’s move to silence the watchdog was prompted by its discomfort over the panel’s scrutiny of Moscow’s own transgressions. Specifically, there were allegations of Russia procuring arms from North Korea to deploy in the Ukrainian battlegrounds.
In contrast, South Korea’s representative at the UN strongly rebuked Russia’s actions, condemning what he termed as “blind self-centeredness” and asserting that there was no justification for dismantling the watchdogs overseeing the sanctions regime.
Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook likened Russia’s move to “destroying a CCTV to avoid being caught red-handed,” highlighting the severity of the situation.
Russia has consistently refuted allegations of using North Korean weaponry. Vasily Nebenzia, Russia’s representative at the UN, reiterated these denials during Thursday’s session. He also contended that the panel of experts provided little value.
“The panel has persistently focused on trivial matters that are disproportionate to the challenges facing the peninsula,” remarked Mr. Nebenzia. He further emphasized that the sanctions imposed a significant burden on the North Korean populace.
