Russia and China on Thursday asked for more time to consider a request from the United States to the U. N. Security Council to halt all deliveries of refined oil products to North Korea, diplomats said. The United States asked a U. N. sanctions committee last week to ban further
Russia and China on Thursday asked for more time to consider a request from the United States to the U. N. Security Council to halt all deliveries of refined oil products to North Korea, diplomats said.
The United States asked a U. N. sanctions committee last week to ban further shipments after accusing North Korea of exceeding a cap on the fuel deliveries through illegal imports.
Under a U. N. sanctions resolution adopted last year, crude oil supplies to North Korea were limited to four million barrels per year and a ceiling of 500,000 barrels of refined oil products per year was set.
A cut-off of oil and fuel would be primarily enforced by China, which supplies North Korea with most of its energy needs, but also Russia, which has delivered some oil to Pyongyang.
The move by Russia and China came ahead of a meeting on Friday between U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Security Council in New York on Washington’s drive to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear and missile programs.
