Trump Administration Pulls Back from Aggressive U. N. Resolution on North Korea
In effort to avert Chinese and Russian veto, U. S. drops plans to impose oil embargo on North Korea and seek U. N. green light for U. S. military to use force to board smuggling vessels.
The Trump administration clawed back a plan to impose a total oil embargo and other harsh sanctions on North Korea in an effort to avoid a major diplomatic rift at the United Nations with China and Russia.
Facing the prospect of a double veto, Nikki Haley, the U. S. ambassador to the United Nations, dropped a provision in a draft Security Council resolution that would have banned all North Korean oil exports and permitted American warships to use force to board vessels that have violated existing U. N. sanctions. The United States also scrapped a plan to impose an asset freeze on the North Korean leader and his government.
The move represents a sharp reversal from a push last week to squeeze North Korea’s economy in response to its Sept. 2 test of a powerful nuclear device that demonstrated Pyonyang’s rapidly improving capabilities. But it also set the stage for a potential agreement among the U. N. key powers on at least a more modest menu of sanctions.
The 15-nation Security Council has scheduled a 6 PM vote on the U. S.-draft resolution.
The current resolution would place a 2 million barrel cap on the volume of oil North Korea is permitted to export, and place a total ban on the export of natural gas liquids and textiles. The draft would limit North Korea’s ability to generate income by sending North Korean laborers abroad to work, with the proceeds flowing back into Pyongyang’s coffers.
