On December 30, 2023, January 2, 2024, and January 6, 2024, the Russian Federation launched several waves of devastating aerial attacks against Ukraine, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds more. These heinous attacks were conducted, in part, using ballistic missiles and ballistic missile launchers procured from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The export of these weapons from the DPRK to Russia blatantly violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit UN Member States from procuring arms or related materiel from the DPRK and prohibit the DPRK from exporting arms or related materiel. UN Security Council resolutions also prohibit the DPRK's development of ballistic missile programs. These violations lead to further suffering of the Ukrainian people, support Russia's brutal war of aggression, and undermine the global nonproliferation regime.
Each violation makes the world a much more dangerous place. And a permanent Security Council member that willingly engages in these violations demonstrates a clear exploitation of its position.
All UN Member States have the responsibility to uphold the UN Charter and to abide by Security Council resolutions. France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States strongly condemn the DPRK's and Russia's Security Council resolution violations and call upon the DPRK and Russia to immediately cease any unlawful arms transfers and faithfully implement these resolutions. We encourage all Council Members to join us in this call during the Security Council meeting today. We also urge the DPRK to abandon its unlawful nuclear and ballistic programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner, and to engage instead in dialogue.
Our governments have signed a joint statement condemning in the strongest possible terms these arms transfers, as well as Russia's use of these arms against Ukraine, and we will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and counter any such arms transfers in defense of international peace and security.
