China and Russia, as expected, exercised their Security Council veto against a US draft resolution to tighten sanctions on North Korea after it tested ballistic missiles.

The remaining members of the council (13 people) voted in favor of a bill that would reduce Pyongyang’s imports of crude and refined oil. Many Washington allies behind the scenes lamented that he insisted on a vote knowing that China and Russia would veto the draft resolution.

Yesterday, a senior US administration official said that “in the coming days, the UN Security Council will vote on US efforts to impose additional sanctions on North Korea over its resumption of ballistic missile launches, noting that “the sanctions will include a tobacco ban, a reduction in oil exports to Pyongyang and the blacklisting of the hacker group Lazarus.

North Korea launched three missiles, including one believed to be the largest intercontinental ballistic missile, the latest in a series of missile launches. This happened after US President Joe Biden completed a trip to Asia.