AS DELIVERED

I thank you for holding this meeting in the public and allowing us all to voice our concerns.

I first wanted to tell my Russian friends that not only has the Secretary-General said this was an ICBM, and the U.S. has said this is an ICBM, North Korea has said this was an ICBM. So if you need any sort of intelligence to let you know that the rest of the world sees this as ICBM, I’m happy to provide it.

Secondly, in reference to being opposed to sanctions on North Korea – this Council all knows we have done repeated resolutions, and nothing has happened. If you are happy with North Korea’s actions, veto it. If you want to be a friend to North Korea, veto it. But if you see this as a threat, if you see this for what it is, which is North Korea showing its muscle, then you need to stand strong and vote with the international community to strengthen sanctions on North Korea.

And if you choose not to, we will go our own path. But it makes no sense to not join together on this threat against North Korea. They have not had any care for Russia or China in this, they have not listened to anything that you’ve said. They’re not going to listen to anything that you say. And so it’s time that we all stand together and say we will not put up with this action. To sit there and oppose sanctions, or to sit there and go in defiance of a new resolution means you’re holding the hands of Kim Jong Un.

Thank you.

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