By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States on Monday called out Russia and China at the United Nations Security Council for “shamelessly protecting” and emboldening North Korea to further violate U.N. sanctions as Pyongyang pledged to accelerate building up its “nuclear force.”
“Russia and China have shamelessly protected Pyongyang from any reprisal, or even condemnation of its actions,” said deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood.
“Shielded from closer scrutiny of its sanctions-violating activities by Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang, unsurprisingly, has been emboldened to continue advancing its unlawful ballistic missile, nuclear, and WMD programs,” he said, using the acronym for weapons of mass destruction.
The 15-member council was meeting over Pyongyang’s test launch on Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Wood said Russia and China had prevented the council from issuing a statement of…
