Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that sought to extend the mandate of a panel of experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, Associated Press reports.
The panel of experts, whose mandate had been renewed annually for 14 years, had been investigating violations of sanctions, including North Korea’s cyberattacks and its continued development of nuclear weapons. The veto, the first of its kind by Russia, reflects the deepening animosity between Moscow and the West since the onset of the Ukraine conflict. Russia accused Western nations of attempting to suffocate North Korea with sanctions, claiming that sanctions are losing their effectiveness.
The US and its allies condemned Russia’s veto, accusing it of undermining global security efforts and enabling North Korea’s sanctions evasion. They also accused Russia of engaging in arms deals with North Korea in violation of UN sanctions and using weapons supplied by North Korea in its invasion of Ukraine. Russia denied these allegations.
The veto does not affect the sanctions themselves, which remain in force.
