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Russia does not accept North Korea’s claims of nuclear power status - UN ambassador

Vasily Nebenzya said that this is the reason to support new UN sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, September 12. /TASS/. Russia has supported the UN Security Council resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea as it does not accept the country’s claim of nuclear status and believes it wrong to leave the recent nuclear test without "a severe response," Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said following the vote.

"Russia does not accept North Korea’s claims of nuclear power status, it supported all the UN Security Council resolutions demanding that Pyongyang put an end to its nuclear and missile programs in order to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula," he said. "Accordingly, we have been supporting sanctions imposed by these resolutions, aimed at making North Korea fulfill the Security Council’s demands," the Russian envoy added.

According to Nebenzya, Russia believed that the potential to use financial pressure on North Korea is almost exhausted, while "further restrictions may amount to an attempt to choke" the country’s economy and may also provoke a deep humanitarian crisis. At the same time, he stressed that Russia considered it wrong "to leave the nuclear test without a severe response," that being the reason why Russia had supported Security Council Resolution 2375.

According to Nebenzya, while the draft resolution was under consideration, Russia insisted that the Security Council’s steps be calibrated in accordance with "the humanitarian aspects of the situation in North Korea," as well as with "the legitimate interests of civilians."

Nebenzya also cited Russian President Vladimir Putin who had said that "political means rather than new sanctions may help avert the growing threat coming from the Korean Peninsula." The Russian UN ambassador pointed out that it was the approach that Russia and China suggested in a road map stipulating steps to ease tensions and create conditions to resume negotiations. "We believe underestimating this initiative is a huge mistake. It is still on the table at the UN Security Council and we will continue insisting that it be considered," he said.

The UN Security Council earlier adopted a resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea in response to the country’s sixth nuclear test. The US-drafted document was supported by all members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. The new resolution, numbered 2375, bans the exports of textiles from North Korea and imposes an embargo on gas condensate deliveries to the country. Besides, the UN Security Council also cuts the imports of refined petroleum products to two million barrels a year. The document empowers countries to inspect vessels at sea, in case an embargo violation is suspected.