Nikki Haley accuses Russia of undermining international sanctions against North Korea

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that Russia is undermining international pressure on North Korea by blocking a report showing Russia and China helped Pyongyang evade sanctions.

“Russia is actively working to undermine the enforcement of Security Council sanctions,” Haley told the United Nations Security Council Monday, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The U.S. called the meeting after Haley accused Russia of forcibly altering the report during the last month. 

On the basis of U.S. intelligence, U.N. investigators found a “massive increase” in fuel shipments to North Korea.

The report found that Russian and Chinese ships were involved and that China sent numerous coal shipments to North Korea, according to the Journal, which reviewed the original report.

“Russia has been cheating. And now they’ve been caught,” Haley said at the U.N. meeting, according to VOA White House bureau chief Steve Herman.

After initially remaining silent, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reportedly fired back that the U.S. was trying to use the UNSC as an arm of American policy and denied that Russia sent resources to North Korea.

“US becoming increasingly aggressive in trying to subjugate the UN Security Council,” claims #Russia Amb. Nebenzia.

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 17, 2018

“This is a falsehood,” responds Amb. Vassily Nebenzia, permanent representative of #Russia, says of @nikkihaley allegations on Moscow violating UN sanctions on #DPRK. “So who is trying to deceive the international community here?” pic.twitter.com/1vm9gDQPJg

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 17, 2018

“Deny, distract and lie” rebuts @nikkihaley, saying it’s the “new norm for the Russian culture.” pic.twitter.com/wAzEr4Gfji

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 17, 2018

China’s Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu also denied the report’s findings, according to Herman, saying, “China has always been committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”

He added that “China will never allow Chinese enterprises or individuals to engage in activities” that violate UN resolutions regarding North Korea.

“China will never allow Chinese enterprises or individuals to engage in activities” that violate UN resolutions regarding the #DPRK, promises Ambassador Ma.

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 17, 2018