Russia’s envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday questioned why its allies like North Korea cannot help Moscow in its war against Ukraine, while Western countries claim the right to help Kiev.
Vassily Nebenzia faced a heated debate at the Security Council meeting from the United States, Britain, South Korea, Ukraine and others, who opposed UN resolutions and the founding of the United Nations with the deployment of troops from North Korea (DPRK) to Russia. Accused of violating the nation’s charter. Help Moscow.
South Korea’s UN Ambassador Junk Hwang said, “Supporting an act of aggression, which completely violates the principles of the UN Charter, is illegal.” “Any activity by the DPRK related to sending troops to Russia is a clear violation of a number of UN Security Council resolutions.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that about 10,000 North Korean troops were already in eastern Russia and that it appeared they would be used to support combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region near the border with Ukraine.
Nebenzia said Russia’s military interactions with North Korea do not violate international law. Russia has not ruled out the involvement of North Korean troops in the war, which it has been waging in Ukraine since February 2022.
“Even if everything that is being said by our Western allies about cooperation between Russia and North Korea is true, why is it that the United States and allies are trying to impose on everyone this flawed logic that they The Zelensky regime has the right to help … and Russian allies have no right to do anything like that,” Nebenzia said.
Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergei Kislitsya responded: “No country providing aid to Ukraine is under Security Council sanctions.”
“Receiving aid from a fully sanctioned North Korea is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter,” he said. “Sending DPRK troops to support Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine is a gross violation of international law.”
North Korea has been under UN Security Council sanctions since 2006 and the measures have been steadily strengthened over the years aimed at preventing Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
North Korea has not acknowledged the deployment of troops to Russia, but has said any such move would comply with international law.
North Korea’s UN ambassador said, “If Russia’s sovereignty and security interests are exposed and threatened by the continued dangerous efforts of the United States and the West, and if it is decided that we should give them some response , then we will take a necessary decision.” Song Kim told the council.
“Pyongyang and Moscow maintain close contacts with each other on mutual security and the development of the situation,” he said.
However, Deputy US Ambassador Robert Woodward warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: “Should DPRK troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will certainly return in body bags. So I would advise Chairman Kim That they should think twice about engaging in such reckless and dangerous behavior.”
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