U.S. envoy to U.N. urges Russia and China not to ‘reward’ North Korea’s bad behavior

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, urged Russia and China on Tuesday to stop rewarding North Korea’s bad behavior.

PANMUNJOM, South Korea — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations urged Russia and China on Tuesday to reverse course, and stop rewarding North Korea’s bad behavior and blocking U.N. scrutiny of the isolated country’s efforts to evade sanctions over its weapons programs.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the remarks during a visit to the Demilitarized Zone, a heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war.

Her trip to South Korea came after Russia rejected the annual renewal of the multinational panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored the implementation of U.N. sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Moscow’s veto and China’s abstention only “empowers” North Korea’s efforts to sidestep international sanctions and “shields” it from accountability, Thomas-Greenfield said.

“Hiding the truth does not change it. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages it,” she told reporters. “We urge Russia and China to reverse course and once again to urge Pyongyang to choose diplomacy and come to the negotiating table to commit to constructive dialogue.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-linda-thomas-greenfield-china-russia-rcna148135

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