UN asked to blacklist Russian ships, firms over N. Korea

NEW YORK: The United States has asked the UN Security Council to blacklist two Russian shipping firms and six Russian-flagged vessels for violating sanctions against North Korea, diplomats said.

The request presented to a UN sanctions committee on Wednesday was the third attempt by the United States in two months to turn up the pressure on North Korea to disman- tle its missile programmes.

In the latest request, the United States asked that two Russian shipping firms – Primorye Maritime Logistics and Gudzon Shipping – be hit by an assets freeze and blacklisted for their alleged dealings with North Korea.

The shippers own a tanker, the M/V Patriot, which conducted ship-to-ship transfers of oil to North Korea tankers twice earlier this year, according to US officials.

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday slapped unilateral sanctions on the Russian companies and vessels.

The UN sanctions committee has until Aug 29 to consider the US request.

Russia and China this month blocked a US bid to add a Russian bank, a North Korean official and two entities to the UN sanctions blacklist. In July, the two countries delayed a US request to cut off fuel deliveries to North Korea.

Russia and China have called on the Security Council to consider easing sanctions to reward North Korea for opening up dialogue with the United States and halting missile tests. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier announced he will be making his fourth trip to North Korea next week, this time with the new US envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun.

The United States has called for maintaining “maximum pressure” from sanctions until North Korea has fully dismantled its nuclear missile programmes.