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

By David Brunnstrom

(Reuters) -There is a strong possibility Russia will veto a United Nations resolution on Friday calling for continuation of the mandate of an expert panel that monitors 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.

A text of the resolution seen by Reuters calls for the extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts for another year until April 30, 2025.

Another U.N. diplomat said that both Russia and China had sought "sunset" clauses to parts of the sanctions regime on North Korea and the text states the Security Council "is prepared to review, by 30 April 2025, the appropriateness of measures taken to date."

Such a review would cover possible "strengthening, modification, suspension, or lifting of the measures as may be needed in light of (North Korea's) compliance," it said.

The suggestion of a possible Russian veto comes after a closening of relations between North Korea and Russia since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The United States has charged that North Korea has supplied Russia with large quantities of artillery shells as well as ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. Russia and North Korea have denied this even as they pledged to strengthen military cooperation.

Last year Russia voted in favor of an extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts, but expressed regret that the resolution then did not include proposals on the need to minimize the impact of sanctions on the North Korean population and confidentiality issues concerning the panel.

(Reporting by David BrunnstromEditing by William Maclean and Frances Kerry)