Strong possibility Russia will veto resolution on North Korea sanctions, UN diplomat says

There is a strong possibility Russia will veto a United Nations resolution on Friday calling for continuation of the mandate of an expert panel monitoring implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea, a U.N. diplomat told Reuters. Such a veto, at a vote expected on Friday afternoon, would mean dissolution of the Panel of Experts monitoring enforcement of long-standing UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

There is a strong possibility Russia will veto a United Nations resolution on Friday calling for continuation of the mandate of an expert panel monitoring implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea, a U.N. diplomat told Reuters.

Such a veto, at a vote expected on Friday afternoon, would mean dissolution of the Panel of Experts monitoring enforcement of long-standing UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's a strong possibility that Russian vetoes this resolution," the diplomat said. "That's unprecedented - basically it's been technical roll-overs for the last 14 years, I believe."

Russia's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The diplomat said if Russia were to veto, if would be the second time in a day that the permanent member of the Security Council had exercised that power, after Russia, and China, voted against a U.S.-proposed Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal.

"I think it would be the first time any country in the last 40 years has vetoed two different resolutions on two different files in the same day," the diplomat said.