Russia, Western nations joust on Pyongyang-Moscow arms cooperation in UNSC meeting

The UN Security Council held an open meeting Friday to discuss arms cooperation between North Korea and Russia, where Western nations condemned the two countries' transactions while Russia called them "completely false."

South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook, this month's rotating UNSC president, presided over the meeting that at one point descended into an exchange of sharp criticism between the representatives of the United States, Russia and China.

The meeting took place as concerns about a growing North Korea-Russia alignment escalated after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty seen as a revival of their Cold War-era military alliance.

Tension was palpable at the outset of the meeting as Russia expressed disagreement over the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the UNSC meeting and described its weapons transactions with the North as "unfounded allegations."

"It is evident that this has nothing to do with a regional issue that has been proposed to discuss under the agenda item -- nonproliferation/the DPRK," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He added, "We regret that the South Korean presidency -- yet again during its term for the advancement of the parochial interests of the collective West -- has been violating the principle of objectivity."

Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, stressed that Ukraine's participation in the meeting was "relevant" as he highlighted that Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukrainian people.

"There is substantial and credible press reporting and open-source analysis referring to the DPRK weapons found in Ukraine," he said.

Pointing to an invited expert's analysis of North Korean weapons used in Ukraine and other assessments, Hwang said, "I wonder how much more proof is needed to verify that the munitions are from the DPRK."

"With lies and disparagement you may try to hide the truth or even run away from it. But you cannot cover the sky with your hand, as the saying goes," he added.

Hwang underscored that Friday's meeting presents an "alternative" way to provide valuable information to UN member states "in a timely manner and on a regular basis," as a UN expert panel monitoring the enforcement of anti-North Korea sanctions has been disbanded due to Russia's veto of a resolution on its mandate renewal.

"From illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum and coal to frequent violations of sectoral bans and luxury goods, illicit cyber activities, overseas North Korean workers, and further arms dealings, there is a long list," he said. "We expect to have a series of briefings on one item after another."

Wood urged China to use its influence to help address security challenges from the North.

"If indeed, China is so concerned about the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, then it needs to use its influence with the DPRK to persuade it from undermining regional and global security," he said.

"It should also use its influence that it has with Russia through its 'no-limits' partnership to persuade its partner to end this increasingly dangerous military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia."

His statement was a response to remarks by China's Deputy Representative to the UN Geng Shuang who said that "nobody is more concerned than China about peace and stability on the peninsula."

Geng hit back, repeating Beijing's stance that it has been promoting dialogue and making positive efforts for peace and stability on the peninsula.

"We need cooperation from other sides, particularly from the U.S," he said. "I would like to appeal to my US colleagues. Maybe, you should change your old habits. That is whatever happens, you do not look at your own fault but try to blame others."

The Russian ambassador denounced the meeting as an attempt to use the UNSC platform to "trot out an anti-Russian and anti-North Korean narrative and to disseminate baseless accusations."

"It is no secret to anybody that the US has long been engaged in the militarization of the Asia-Pacific region," he claimed. "They have been attempting to entrench their hegemony there and impose upon countries in the region block-based mindsets."

North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Song also criticized the meeting as "irrelevant" and the US as the "world's biggest arms exporter." (Yonhap)