The United States denounced on Monday February 20 the “
forced
” silence and the “
dangerous
” inaction of the Security Council after the missile launches by North Korea, accusing without naming them Russia and China of serving as a shield for Pyongyang .
"
In the face of unprecedented launches last year, two permanent members forced us into silence despite repeated violations by North Korea
," US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, referring to vetoes of China and Russia last May against a resolution imposing new sanctions against Pyongyang.
“
On this vital subject, silence leads to uselessness
,” she added during an emergency meeting of the Council after new missile launches in recent days by North Korea.
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“Shameful” and “dangerous”
"
The Council's lack of action is more than shameful, it is dangerous
", but this "
failure
" to act which "
encourages
" North Korea to launch these fires "
without fear of consequences
", "
is not collective , it is specific
,” she insisted.
"
The reality is that those who protect North Korea from the consequences of these tests (...) put Asia and the whole world in danger
", she indicated, considering that thanks to the sanctions voted by the Council in 2017, Pyongyang "
had refrained from major provocations for almost five years
".
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"
If two member states continue to prevent this Council from exercising its mandate, we can expect North Korea to defiantly continue to develop and test these weapons," the ambassador added, noting that the United
States United would still propose the adoption of a Council statement condemning these North Korean activities.
Several other Council members expressed the same condemnation of the North Korean fire.
"
If we remain silent for fear of further provocations, it will only encourage those who break the rules to write the rules of the game as they wish
," Japanese Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro said.
“
We have to look things in the face.
The current escalation is dangerous.
And the question is very simple: can this Council agree to North Korea becoming a nuclear state?
“, added the French Nicolas de Rivière.
The last displays of unity by the Security Council date back to 2017. Under the administration of Republican Donald Trump, the United States unanimously pushed through the Security Council three resolutions imposing three rounds of heavy economic sanctions on Pyongyang after missile and nuclear tests.