US urges UN to condemn North Korea; China, Russia blame US

North Korea's ballistic missile being launched from an undisclosed location on Feb. 20, 2023. [AP Photo]

The United States and its allies urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to condemn North Korea's unlawful ballistic missile launches, but China and Russia blamed the U.S. for escalating tensions with stepped-up military exercises targeting Pyongyang.

At the emergency meeting, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council that the United States will propose a presidential statement, saying at a minimum all 15 members should be agreeable to condemning the North's unprecedented missile launches, to urging Pyongyang to comply with U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions, and "to engage in meaningful dialogue."