CHINA, RUSSIA IN U.N. ‘VIOLATIONS’ SNUB

The US and European allies on the United Nations Security Council have failed to convince China and Russia to back a text noting North Korea’s “violations” of resolutions on missile technology.

North Korean state media said Pyongyang carried out a test on Saturday for what it said was a reconnaissance satellite, but which analysts said was a thinly veiled ballistic missile launch, just days before a presidential election in South Korea.

“We would love to have China and Russia join us in this room” to adopt the text, the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after a closed-door Security Council meeting.

Backed by 10 other ambassadors – including from countries not on the Security Council, such as Australia and Japan – ThomasGreenfield read out a text affirming that the group is “united today in condemning the DPRK’s March 5 [local time] launch of a ballistic missile”, referring to North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“Like the 10 other ballistic missile launches since the beginning of the year, this act by the DPRK violated multiple Security Council resolutions,” she said.

“While the DPRK escalates its destabilising actions, the Security Council continues to remain silent.

“Each ballistic missile launch that results in inaction by the council erodes the credibility of the UN Security Council itself,” Thomas-Greenfield added, without mentioning China or Russia.

The two countries were the only states opposed to the short, “basic” text at Monday’s meeting, diplomats said.