Russia blocks publication of UN report critical of North Korea

Russia has blocked the publication of a UN report on the implementation of sanctions against North Korea because it disagrees with some of the findings, Moscow’s ambassador to the world body has said.

The report had previously been seen by media organisations, including AFP, before formal publication. “The report is on hold because we disagree on certain elements of the report and on the conduct of the business itself,” Vassily Nebenzia told reporters after the UN Security Council meeting attended by its 15 members on Thursday.

A diplomatic source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Russia’s objection stemmed mainly from a part of the report that said North Korea had exceeded its 2018 import cap for oil that was set by the 2017 sanctions.

The US in July demanded without success an end to all oil exports, citing satellite photos and expert reports to claim illegal ship-to-ship transfers had allowed Pyongyang to evade the sanctions.