The United States has repeated calls for China to play a role in curbing North Korea while issuing a condemnation of arms transfers from the North to Russia.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel made the call on Thursday in a press briefing, saying that Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is flagrantly violating multiple Council resolutions in its attack on another UN member state.

The spokesperson said that with the recent transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia, the North is also at fault for violating additional Security Council resolutions, including the UN arms embargo, adding that all countries have a role to play regarding the matter.

As for Russia’s stance that the U.S. is making unreasonable claims without evidence on the arms deal, Patel called the response “interesting” given that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and nearly 50 other foreign ministers and the EU high representative issued a joint statement condemning the transfer of ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine.

The spokesperson added that there is a high level of confidence from the U.S. and the other partners who share concern and condemnation of the deal.

Asked if China is also responsible for the transfer, Patel said that the U.S. has long said that countries that have a relationship with Pyongyang such as Russia also have a responsibility to help curtail this kind of provocation.

[Photo : YONHAP News]