North Korea Criticizes Ukraine and UN Security Council Over Russia Conflict
Pyongyang Condemns UN Meeting
North Korea on Tuesday condemned Kyiv and the UN Security Council’s emergency session on Ukraine following Russia’s Oreshnik missile strike, according to state media.
Kim Song, Pyongyang’s permanent UN representative, called the meeting “unusual” and said it “undermined” the UN’s mission. He claimed that the council convened under Ukraine’s “unilateral claims” and did not represent genuine international support.
Blame on Ukraine and Western Powers
“The primary target of criticism is the Kiev authorities,” Kim said, accusing Western countries of unfairly condemning Russia’s “just exercise of self-defense.” He argued that the Ukraine crisis stemmed from the confrontation policies of the US and the West, including NATO’s eastward expansion, which he said violated Russia’s security interests.
Kim asserted that “responsibility for all incidents lies entirely with the parties that created the preconditions for them,” framing Russia’s actions as defensive.
Humanitarian Toll in Ukraine
Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the growing humanitarian crisis. She told the Security Council that civilian deaths in Ukraine reached their highest level in 2025 amid intensified Russian aerial attacks on cities, energy infrastructure, and other civilian targets during winter.
Citing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, DiCarlo said at least 14,999 civilians have died, including 763 children, and 40,601 have been injured, including 2,486 children, since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.
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