China and Russia’s reluctance to toughen UN sanctions on North Korea is “the biggest challenge” facing efforts to eliminate the North’s nuclear arsenal, a top South Korean official said Thursday, as the North remains ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years.
China and Russia, which both have close ties with North Korea and are locked in confrontations with the United States, already vetoed a US-led attempt to slap fresh sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests this year. That raises worries North Korea would escape punishment even if it performs a bigger provocation like a nuclear test explosion, which are banned by UN resolutions.
