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Following Russia’s veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution last month, the United States is actively seeking alternative methods to ensure compliance with international sanctions aimed at North Korea’s nuclear and missile initiatives.

According to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, the US is exploring options both within and outside the UN framework. This comes in response to Moscow’s veto, which had been pivotal in monitoring North Korea’s compliance for nearly two decades. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said, “We cannot allow the work that the panel of experts were doing to lapse.”

In addition to looking at international bodies for solutions, the US is engaging with allies such as South Korea, Japan, and other like-minded countries to develop a robust alternative. However, specifics regarding whether this new monitoring mechanism will operate under the UN General Assembly or outside the UN were not disclosed.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said these moves would have to be made to prevent Russia and China from shielding North Korea from additional UN sanctions. She added, “I don’t expect that they will cooperate or agree with any efforts that we make to find another path, but that is not going to stop us from finding that path moving forward.”