For the past 15 years, the United Nations’ 1718 Committee Panel of Experts has been providing fact-based, independent analysis and recommendations on the implementation of U.N. Sanctions on the DPRK, or North Korea. Year after year, the UN Security Council extended the Committee’s mandate. Until March 28, that is, when Russia vetoed the mandate’s renewal.
This is a galling but not surprising turn of events: this was a favor for an ally. Since late 2022, the DPRK has been supplying Russia with armaments for its brutal war against Ukraine. “By vetoing the mandate renewal,” said U.S. Permanent Representative at the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, “Russia sought to … shield the world from the truth about the DPRK’s dangerous actions and Russia’s complicity in them.”
Indeed, “North Korea has now sent Russia more than 20,000 shipping containers of munitions to date, containing at least 6 million heavy artillery rounds along with well over 100 ballistic missiles,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“These missiles have subsequently been launched into Ukraine, impacting near civilian infrastructure and populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.”
More recently, Russia has “turned to the DPRK for manpower as well as munitions, in order to carry out its war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. Russia has deployed more than 11,000 North Korean elite special forces soldiers in Ukraine.
“This is not a one-way street. The more Russia relies on the DPRK’s support, the more the DPRK extracts in return, exacerbating threats to peace and security not only in Europe, but across the globe.
“In recent months, Russia has provided training to DPRK troops in artillery, UAV, [unmanned aerial vehicle] and basic infantry operations, including trench-clearing, an indication DPRK soldiers are participating in frontline operations, and directly engaging in hostilities against Ukraine.”
“Alarmingly, we assess that Russia may be close to accepting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, reversing Moscow’s decades-long commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.”
“We believe that Moscow will become more reluctant not only to criticize Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons, but also further obstruct passage of sanctions or resolutions condemning North Korea’s destabilizing behavior – as we have already seen.”
“Once again,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, “the United States calls on Russia to cease military cooperation with the DPRK. To end this senseless war of aggression against Ukraine, and immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory within its internationally recognized borders.”
