US wants to toughen sanctions on North Korea over missile tests

by time news

The United States announced this Friday that it will propose a resolution to the UN Security Council to “update and tighten” international sanctions against North Korea in response to their latest weapons testsincluding Thursday’s launch of a new intercontinental missile (ICBM).

This was announced by the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a speech before the Security Council, an emergency meeting to analyze this latest North Korean test, the first in almost five years with such a weapon.

Thomas-Greenfield defended the need to reinforce the sanctions before the “increasingly dangerous provocations” of Pyongyang and was totally against relaxing the punishments, something that countries like China and Russia have been requesting. “We have heard recent calls to ease sanctions, but why should the Security Council reward bad behavior?” said the US ambassador, who considered that a step in this direction would only expand Pyongyang’s resources to continue with its weapons program as long as there is no diplomatic commitment to stop it.

Both Beijing and Moscow have veto power in the Security Council, so they could block the imposition of new sanctions; if approved, they would add to the extensive punishments already weighing on North Korean authorities.

Thomas-Greenfield insisted that the international community cannot leave unanswered the launch of this ICBM, a type of long range projectile which, he recalled, poses a threat to practically every country in the world.

The US diplomat recalled that the latter is added to another twelve missile tests that North Korea has carried out so far this year and the alleged reopening of a nuclear facility that it was closed and that it indicates that Pyongyang seeks to advance its atomic weapons program. “It is clear that North Korea has increased its provocations with impunity while the Council has remained silent,” said Thomas-Greenfield, who criticized the lack of agreement to condemn the latest North Korean tests.

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