October 30, 2024
Thank you, Madam President.
We thank Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for the briefing. We are grateful and support for the initiative taken by Ukraine to discuss the issues on the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Today, we have the opportunity to let the international community know the facts and truth of what is happening on the ground, and share the understanding on how Russia and North Korea are deepening military cooperation and breaching international law in Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.
Madam President,
The story of cooperation between Russia and North Korea did not begin just recently. Taking one example, it was about half a year ago that 1718 Committee Panel of Experts was forced to terminate its mandate due to the regrettable veto by Russia, which was clearly intended to give breathing space for North Korea.
Just a couple months after this veto, Russia and North Korea signed the “Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” which highlights the increasing cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
The Security Council discussed the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in June this year in light of clear violation of relevant Security Council Resolutions. We have repeatedly and strongly condemned Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles from North Korea to use against Ukraine. Yet military cooperation between the two has only accelerated.
Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov publicly stated that “applying the term ‘denuclearisation’ to DPRK no longer makes any sense. This is off the table.” He publicly denied the goals established by multiple Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has supported. This represents an endorsement of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development and undermines the international non-proliferation regime, which is absolutely unacceptable.
The discussion last week on “Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine,” where many Council members showed their grave concern about the mobilization of North Korean soldiers to the battlefield, is still fresh in our minds. Japan has confirmed information sufficient for us to believe that North Korea’s soldiers have been dispatched to Russia and have engaged in military training. This constitutes a blatant violation of relevant Security Council resolutions.
We are closely monitoring this development with serious concern, including the imminent risk that these troops may take direct part in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which would constitute a grave violation of international law, including the UN Charter.
Madam President,
President Putin did not rule out the possibility of advancing cooperation with North Korea in military technology during his visit to Pyongyang last June.
This is totally unacceptable behavior for a responsible permanent member of the Security Council to engage in. We continue to closely monitor what Russia provides to North Korea in return.
We, the Council members, have an essential role in maintaining international peace and security, including the global non-proliferation regime that all Member States are committed to. Any Council member should not dilute our role in this regard.
North Korea becoming an accomplice to Russia’s unprovoked aggression will worsen the situation in Ukraine and we cannot just overlook the situation where relevant Security Council resolutions have been repeatedly and flagrantly violated by them. We must act to stop this. Let me once again call on all UN Member States to abide by their obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions, and permanent members of the Security Council, in particular, should never fail to do so. Failure to do so will jeopardize the system for international peace and security, which was established by the UN Charter and has been in effect for eight decades.
I thank you, Madam President.