U.S. Accuses Russia of Cynical Violations of North Korea Sanctions at UN Security Council

The United States has openly condemned Russia for systematically violating United Nations Security Council sanctions by importing weapons from North Korea, a move that Washington described as a “cynical breach” of international law.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Ukrinform.

Speaking at a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Acting U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea highlighted Moscow's ongoing military cooperation with Pyongyang despite clear prohibitions set by multiple UNSC resolutions. She stated that since September 2023, North Korea has supplied Russia with over 24,000 containers of munitions and more than 100 ballistic missiles, many of which have been used in the war against Ukraine. In exchange for military support, Russia had shipped more than one million barrels of oil to North Korea – another violation of UN restrictions.

Shea also pointed to Russia’s controversial veto last year that ended the mandate of the UN panel of experts tasked with monitoring compliance with sanctions on North Korea. This move, she argued, deprived the international community of “critical and impartial information” and occurred “with the silent backing of China.”

Despite the dissolution of the expert panel, independent investigative organizations such as the Center for Open Source Analysis have continued to gather evidence of violations. These groups have used satellite imagery and 3D modeling to track shipments of coal, iron ore, missiles, and artillery shells worth billions of dollars moving between North Korea and Russia.

The U.S. diplomat stressed that North Korea has also violated sanctions by continuing to export coal and iron ore to China. “Russia is deliberately obstructing the Security Council’s ability to enforce its own sanctions regime,” she said, adding that the U.S. is prepared to propose additional sanctions targeting specific vessels involved in illicit shipments.

The U.S. reminded fellow Council members that all existing sanctions on North Korea remain legally binding, regardless of efforts by Russia and China to limit enforcement mechanisms.

The U.S. signaled readiness to impose new sanctions on specific vessels involved in smuggling. This marks Washington’s most direct criticism of Moscow at the UN in months, signaling a tougher stance under President Trump’s renewed foreign policy approach.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia and North Korea have officially launched construction of a new road bridge over the Tumen River, marking a deepening of strategic ties between the two countries.