Western powers condemn North Korea’s robot test | GP

Western powers in the Security Council, including the United Kingdom and the United States, which started the meeting, believe that North Korea’s recent robot tests show technological sophistication and that UN sanctions against the country’s nuclear and robotic programs must be urgently implemented.

The latest test firing took place in North Korea on Tuesday, when the country tested a new type of robot of the type launched underwater from a submarine.

“Implementation of Sanctions”

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield called on all countries to fully implement UN sanctions against North Korea:

“So that we can deny North Korea access to the economic resources, technology and know-how needed to continue developing its illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” she said in connection with the closed-door meeting.

For its part, North Korea said it is concerned about what it considers an abnormal and exaggerated response by the United States.

“When we conducted the latest firing tests, we were not considering or targeting the United States, but these were planned tests conducted for defensive purposes only,” a KCNA spokesperson said.

The speaker explains that the fact that the Americans themselves have submarine-launched robots shows American double standards, which only contributes to increasing mistrust in the United States.

Calls for dialogue

The three European Union nations on the Security Council – France, Ireland and Estonia – said in a joint statement that Tuesday’s launch clearly demonstrated North Korea’s continued progress in developing its nuclear and robotic programmes.

The three countries call on North Korea to immediately halt its firing tests and begin phasing out its weapons of mass destruction program. They also appealed to North Korea to respond to repeated calls from the United States and South Korea to resume diplomatic talks.

Neither China, which is close to North Korea, nor Russia commented after the meeting.

In recent weeks, North Korea has tested several different types of robots. Among other things, the state claims to have tested a so-called hypersonic robot, a technology touted as a superweapon of the future.