Japan, South Korea and the United States criticised China and Russia for vetoing a United Nations resolution on Thursday that sought to punish North Korea for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
Thursday's US-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council would have pared back the amount of oil North Korea could legally import for civilian purposes from 4 million barrels annually to 3 million barrels and cut the level of refined petroleum.
"The vetoes today are dangerous. Those members have taken a stance that not only undermines the Security Council's previous actions to which they've committed, but also undermines our collective security," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, on behalf of the three nations. "These tests are dangerous. They are destabilising .... They pose a threat, not just to [North Korea's] neighbours, but to the entire world. This must stop."
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Washington and Seoul reported that North Korea, also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), fired three missiles on Wednesday, including one that may have been Pyongyang's largest intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, to date, hours after US President Joe Biden visited the region. The missile launches, totalling 23 this year, represent a "threat to the peace and security of the entire international community," Thomas-Greenfield said.
Thirteen members of the 15-member Security Council supported the resolution. Of the 15, only five permanent members - China, Russia, the US, Britain and France - have veto power. The remaining 10 positions rotate among other nations.
China, North Korea's closest ally, bridled at the imposition of sanctions against Pyongyang despite supporting similar measures in the past.
This follows growing polarisation between democratic and autocratic states and an unprecedented sanctions campaign by the US and numerous Western allies directed against Russia following Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
The US "should not place one-sided emphasis on the implementation of sanctions alone. It should also work to promote a political solution," China's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said on Thursday.
Russia, which has struggled to import vital technology and seen overseas accounts and the assets of its oligarchs frozen since the invasion, accused Washington of ignoring North Korea's request to ease hostilities.