The UN Security Council met briefly on Tuesday behind closed doors, at the request of its European members, to discuss the latest missile fire from North Korea, while Washington said it was studying "
additional actions
Possible in New York.
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However, neither the Council's statement nor the press release from its European members was published at the end of the videoconference, which, rare at the UN, lasted barely more than half an hour.
A year ago, on March 31, 2020, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom had in a text "
condemned provocative actions
" carried out by Pyongyang after already shooting.
This Tuesday, it is "
not planned
" and "
it was not discussed,
" said the diplomats on condition of anonymity, without explaining the reason.
Like last year, the meeting was requested by the European members of the Council: France, Estonia, Ireland, Norway (two countries which succeeded Belgium and Germany in January) and the United Kingdom.
According to a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, "
the majority of the members of the Council expressed their concern
" after the North Korean shootings and all recalled "
the objective of denuclearization
" of the peninsula.
The North Korean forces fired last Thursday two missiles presented by the United States in particular as short-range ballistic missiles.
Several UN resolutions prohibit Pyongyang from launching this type of projectiles.
After these shots, Washington had preferred to request a meeting of the Sanctions Committee on North Korea (where the 15 members of the Council are represented), which was held last Friday, rather than a session of the Security Council.
An investigation into the shootings was then requested from the UN experts responsible for monitoring the sanctions.
"
Alignment of interest
"
The session requested by the Europeans provoked the fury of Pyongyang who accused the Security Council in a statement on Monday of having "
two weights, two measures
", depending on whether the projectiles are launched by North Korea or by other countries.
"
We have held a Sanctions Committee and we are studying additional actions that could be taken here in New York,
" US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told a press conference on Monday evening. joint with State Secretary Antony Blinken.
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By evoking "
provocations
" and "
ballistic missile fire threatening the region and the entire international community
", Antony Blinken estimated in front of the media that the North Korean file could allow an "
alignment of interest
" between Washington and Beijing, Pyongyang's backer and key to resolving the crisis.
The United States, he recalled, is reviewing its approach to North Korea.
North Korean President Kim Jong Un had benefited from a spectacular rapprochement with former President Donald Trump, but without concrete results in stopping his nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.
North Korea has for several years been subject to multiple heavy economic sanctions from the Security Council for its banned nuclear and ballistic programs.