Vladimir Putin with Kim Jong Un
On Friday, Russia said that United Nations sanctions on North Korea were impeding dialogue and peace on the Korean peninsula and had not improved regional security.
The remark came amid criticism of Moscow for using its veto power to effectively stop official UN monitoring of North Korean sanctions, as well as an investigation into alleged arms shipments between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“Over the years, international restrictive measures have not helped to improve the security situation in the region”, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Maria Zakharova went on to say, “On the contrary, in the absence of mechanisms to review sanctions measures in a mitigating manner, this instrument remains a serious irritant that hinders confidence building and political dialogue”.
Russia’s veto in the UN Security Council on Thursday prevented the renewal of the UN panel of experts investigating sanctions violations related to North Korea’s banned nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
On Friday, the Kremlin defended the veto.
During a daily briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “This position is more in line with our interests”.
Russia’s spy chief traveled to North Korea earlier this week to explore security cooperation.
Moscow and Pyongyang have always been allies and, their relationship has become stronger since Russia launched its armed assault on Ukraine.
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