Proposing Sanctions Against N. Korea Amid COVID-19 Outbreak 'Irresponsible'- Nebenzia

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2022) Russia considers it very irresponsible to propose new sanctions against North Korea amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said.

"The epidemiological situation today is very complex. We consider that it is extremely irresponsible to propose new sanctions�as North Koreans are facing a challenge that, quite the opposite, should allow us to consider the possibility of providing assistance to the country to overcome the pandemic," Nebenzia said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Russia and China vetoed the US-sponsored resolution at the UN Security Council seeking to impose additional restrictive measures on North Korea.

The United States undertook the initiative after North Korea test-launched three ballistic missiles this week toward the Sea of Japan just hours after President Joe Biden concluded his trip to South Korea and Japan for meetings with his counterparts to discuss regional security and trade.

On Wednesday, the Korean Central news Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korea has said there were more than 115,000 new cases of unidentified fever over the past 24 hours believed to be a result of COVID-19, but� no new deaths, with the overall number of cases now exceeding 3 million.

North Korea has implemented a "maximum emergency" virus control system since detecting its first coronavirus cases in late April with the country's leader Kim Jong Un has ordered all cities and counties to be paced on lockdown.