Russia says UN sanctions on North Korea have 'not helped' improve regional security

Russia said on Friday that United Nations sanctions on North Korea were an obstacle to fostering dialogue and peace on the Korean peninsula and had not aided regional security.

The comment came amid a backlash against Moscow for using its veto power to effectively end official UN monitoring of sanctions on North Korea, and a probe into alleged arms transfers between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Moscow pointed out that major powers needed a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of ratchetting up military tensions in Asia and seeking to "strangle" the reclusive state.

Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of longstanding United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
Moscow's move, which strikes a blow at the enforcement of a myriad of UN sanctions imposed after Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, underscores the dividend that Kim Jong Un has earned by moving closer to President Vladimir Putin amid the war in Ukraine.

"It is obvious to us that the UN Security Council can no longer use old templates in relation to the problems of the Korean Peninsula," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Zakharova said the United States was stoking military tensions, that international restrictions had not improved the security situation and that there were severe humanitarian consequences for the population of North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The United States and its allies have clearly demonstrated that their interest does not extend beyond the task of 'strangling' the DPRK by all available means, and a peaceful settlement is not on the agenda at all," she said.

The Russian veto is seen as a major turning point in the international sanctions regime against North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union while the Republic of Korea was backed by the United States.

North Korea is the only country to have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century - in 2006, 2009, 2013, twice in 2016, and 2017, according to the United Nations.

"This position is more in line with our interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily briefing.

Russia's spy chief visited north Korea earlier this week to discuss security cooperation.

Moscow and Pyongyang are historical allies and have strengthened ties since the start of Russia's military assault on Ukraine.