(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks in paras 6-14)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) — The United States believes Russia may be close to accepting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in a reversal of its long-standing commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, its ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday.
During a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield revealed U.S. information that Moscow has sent air defense systems to the North while underscoring the United States’ concerns over Moscow’s “intent” to share satellite and space technologies with Pyongyang.
She also offered the U.S.’ assessment that Pyongyang has shipped more than 20,000 shipping containers of munitions to Russia to date, including at least 6 million heavy artillery rounds, along with well over 100 ballistic missiles.
“Alarmingly, we assess that Russia may be close to accepting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, reversing Moscow’s decadelong commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula,” the ambassador said during the meeting presided over by her as this month’s rotating UNSC president.
“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’ve already seen,” she added.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks from the president’s chair during a U.N. Security Council meeting at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Dec. 3, 2024, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
Elaborating on the North’s military support for Russia, Thomas-Greenfield said that Pyongyang has continued preparations to transfer more missiles to Russia late this year.
“We also have information that a large number of DPRK-origin 170-mm long-range self-propelled artillery pieces and 240-mm long-range multiple rocket launchers are being introduced into the conflict, and now Russia turns to the DPRK for manpower, as well as munitions, in order to carry out its war of aggression,” she said.
DPRK is short for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The ambassador highlighted that the more Russia relies on Pyongyang for weapons and military manpower, the more North Korea “extracts,” and that their partnership is exacerbating threats to peace not only in Europe but also across the globe.
“We also have information that Russia has transferred air defense systems to the DPRK. The Kremlin continues to provide free and subsidized refined petroleum to the Kim regime above the U.N.-mandated 500,000-barrel cap, as well as sell dual-use technology and equipment,” she said.
“What’s more, we are particularly concerned about Moscow’s intent to share satellite and space technologies with Pyongyang, which the war in Ukraine has plainly demonstrated is crucial to an army’s communications and intelligence capability on the modern battlefield.”
She reiterated the U.S.’ calls for Russia to cease military cooperation with the North and end the war in Ukraine.
The ambassador also took a jab at China, saying Beijing has provided “political cover” for Russia.
“This is not the behavior of any responsible member state, let alone two permanent members of the council,” she said. “Responsible council members take seriously their duty to counter threats to international peace and security.”
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