The United States and Russia appear to be on a collision course,... this time over North Korea.
Washington is accusing Moscow of hindering denuclearization efforts by violating UN sanctions on the regime.
Kim Hyesung reports.
The United States has called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council for Monday... in response to what it says are efforts by some countries to undermine sanctions against North Korea.
The U.S. Mission to the UN said the meeting will discuss the implementation and enforcement of UN sanctions on the North.
This comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's accused Russia of attempting to cover up breaches of UN sanctions on the regime.
"Russia has actively attempted to undermine the UN Security Council resolutions-- the work of the 1718 committee, the committee at the U.N. that evaluates compliance with sanctions-- by attempting to change language there....The United States is as committed as ever to continuing to enforce those UN Security Council resolutions."
Pompeo's remarks came a day after U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the independent UN panel should release the original report, which cited a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products for North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.
The report said some products were allegedly off-loaded from Russian ships.
Since 2006, the UN Security Council has imposed tougher sanctions against North Korea in response to its repeated nuclear and missile tests.
The latest UNSC resolution limits oil exports to the North and includes measures on closer inspections of cargo ships coming in and out of the regime.
Last month, Moscow held up the publication of the UN panel's report over differences about its contents.
A summary of the report obtained in August by the Associated Press also said North Korea has not stopped it nuclear and missile programs, adding the regime has violated UN sanctions by transferring coal and flouting an arms embargo.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.
