The United States accused China and Russia of shielding North Korea from criticism during a United Nations Security Council meeting called Nov. 4 to address Pyongyang’s test launch of a nuclear-capable long-range missile last week.
“Russia and China have shamelessly protected Pyongyang from any reprisal, or even condemnation of its actions,” said deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood, accusing the U.N. members of effectively emboldening the totalitarian state’s nuclear ambitions.
“Shielded from closer scrutiny of its sanctions-violating activities by Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang, unsurprisingly, has been emboldened to continue advancing its unlawful ballistic missile, nuclear, and WMD [weapons of mass destruction] programs,” Wood said....