Russia goes along with new sanctions against North Korea but complains about impact on Russians


nsnbc : The UN Security Council, on June 2, unanimously decided to apply existing sanctions against North Korea to 14 individuals and four entities, strongly condemning the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) a.k.a. North Korea.

Safronkov_UNSC_Russia_Jun 2017The 15 member UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted these new measures with non of the five self-anointed permanent members, including Russia, making use of their veto right.

The Council stated that it adopted the resolution to reaffirm its decisions that the Democratic people’s Republic of Korea should abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities.

It is worth noting that the DPRK does not violate any body of international law in its development of nuclear energy for peaceful or for self-defense purposes. It does, however, defy – arguably violate – a cohort of arguably illegal – UNSC resolutions that derive their “legality” because the victors of World War II, some 70 years ago, endowed themselves with the right to “rule the world” and to carve it up into spheres of interest.

However, in the text, the Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the country’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities, including a series of ballistic missile launches, dating back to 9 September 2016, which were conducted “in violation and flagrant disregard” of the relevant Council resolutions.

So far this year, the DPRK has conducted nine ballistic missile tests, including one on Monday. In response, Council members have issued seven press statements, most recent one on 22 May, condemning the country’s actions and expressing its readiness to take further significant measures, including sanctions. However, the legal status pertaining the DPRK’s right to develop missiles for civilian and military purposes is identical with that of its nuclear program.

That means, the DPRK does not violate any body of international law but it violates the dictates of self-anointed permanent UN Security Council members who have usurped the alleged authorization to claim “their word is the law”, even when their “resolutions” violate the UN Charter itself, or any other body of international law.

The latest resolution contains one annex with the list of the 14 individuals who are now subject to travel ban and asset freeze and a second annex with the list of the four entities subject to asset freeze. Those sanction measures are specified in resolution 1718, which was adopted in 2006.

Ironically, and in a tragic display of “double standards” Russia , after failing to veto the arguably illegal resolution, complained about the adverse effects it has on Russian individuals and entities. Russia’s deputy UN envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, requested that Washington explain its move to sanction three Russian companies and one individual for their alleged ties with North Korea.

Safronkov said “We would like to hear the US side’s explanation regarding the June 1 expansion of the US sanctions on North Korea, that affected three Russian companies and one citizen of our country. … This move raises eyebrows and causes deep regret. We have repeatedly stated that the mechanism of unilateral restrictions is illegal from the point of view of the international law.”

Washington extended its sanctions over North Korea on Thursday, putting three Russian companies (Ardis-Bearings Llc, Independent Petroleum Company and its subsidiary PrimorNefteProduct) and one individual (Ardis-Bearings Llc chief Igor Michurin) on its expanded blacklist for their alleged support of North Korea’s weapons programs. Those added to the US blacklist would be subjected to a freeze of their US assets and a travel ban. US companies and individuals will be prohibited from carrying out any dealings with them.

Russian state media including the TASS news agency would publish articles about Safronkov’s complaints but fail to address the point that Russia could, and according to many objective observers “should” have vetoed the arguably illegal resolution.

CH/L – nsnbc 03.06.2017



Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/06/03/russia-goes-along-with-new-sanctions-against-north-korea-but-complains-about-impact-on-russians/

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