United Nations — A statement led by the United States and backed by 10 out of the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, was issued on Tuesday, expressing condemnation of North Korea’s recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The statement urged North Korea to engage in negotiations and to discontinue its missile development programs.

The recent declaration comes in light of a succession of missile tests conducted by North Korea, including a notable test of their latest ICBM, which is reportedly capable of reaching U.S. territory. The coalition of 10 Security Council members pointed out that this latest launch, along with more than 100 other ballistic missile tests since 2022, is a direct violation of multiple Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from utilizing any ballistic missile technology and poses a threat to global peace and security.

The foreign ministers of the wealthy democratic nations known as the Group of Seven (G7)—which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—also condemned the missile launch through a statement issued on Tuesday. They noted that North Korea continues to enhance its unlawful nuclear and missile capabilities while escalating its destabilizing actions.

Robert Wood, the U.S. deputy ambassador, presented the statement before reporters at the United Nations, flanked by diplomats representing the other nine countries that supported the declaration—Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, representatives from three countries set to join the Security Council in January—Denmark, Greece, and Panama—were also in attendance.

However, five members of the Security Council—Russia, China, Algeria, Mozambique, and Guyana—did not endorse this statement. The 10 members noted that while the U.S. sought the support of all 15 council members for the press release, two nations, recognized by the council members as Russia and China, declined to participate in the condemnation of North Korea’s actions.

In their statement, the 10 nations reiterated that all Security Council members are obligated to enforce the sanctions imposed on North Korea. They urged the entirety of the Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities, ensure international peace and security, and uphold the treaty against nuclear proliferation.

Although Russia and China were not explicitly mentioned in the statement, there were indications that it was particularly directed toward Russia, which has purportedly been receiving munitions and personnel from North Korea to support its ongoing military operations in Ukraine.

During a Security Council meeting on Monday, a contentious exchange took place between the U.S., its allies, and representatives from Russia, China, and North Korea regarding the ICBM launches and North Korean troop deployments to Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported on Tuesday that their troops engaged for the first time with North Korean forces in Ukraine’s Kursk border region, under occupation by Ukrainian armed forces.

The Security Council had previously instituted sanctions on North Korea after its inaugural nuclear test explosion in 2006, tightening measures over the years in an attempt to diminish funding and limit the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. The last resolution imposing sanctions was passed in December 2017, while a subsequent U.S.-initiated resolution aimed at instituting new sanctions following a series of ICBM launches was vetoed by China and Russia in May 2022, with both nations blocking any further council actions on the matter since then.