US, allies readying effort to expose N.Korean sanctions violations

The United States and its allies are preparing to step up efforts to publicly expose North Korea’s alleged violations of international sanctions imposed to restrict its nuclear and missile programs, according to a media report.

The planned campaign to “name and shame” Pyongyang comes at a time when diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue appear to have stalled. US officials say North Korea continues to use deceptive methods to circumvent United Nations sanctions, particularly restrictions on the supply of petroleum and other essential goods.

A US defence official told CNN that Pyongyang was regularly using tactics designed to evade sanctions and continue illicit trade.

The issue also triggered a sharp exchange at the UN Security Council. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia of helping North Korea get around international sanctions. “Russia has been cheating. And now they’ve been caught,” Haley said during a Security Council meeting on Monday.

According to CNN, the US and its partners are now increasing their efforts to monitor and document suspected sanctions violations. Japan, Australia and New Zealand are expected to announce their own surveillance and monitoring operations aimed at disrupting North Korean smuggling networks. Canada, France, South Korea and the UK are also coordinating with the effort.

A major focus will be on ships allegedly involved in illicit transfers of refined petroleum to North Korean vessels in the East China Sea. Such ship-to-ship transfers are considered one of the methods used to bypass restrictions on fuel supplies to North Korea.

The US has already deployed aircraft and naval vessels to monitor such activity and detect possible sanctions violations. However, Washington had largely kept these operations out of the public eye, reportedly to avoid creating additional tensions with Pyongyang while diplomatic engagement remained possible.

That approach now appears to be changing as the US and its allies seek to make evidence of sanctions violations more visible internationally.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis, when asked about a possible increase in American military activity to enforce sanctions, declined to discuss specific future operations. He said several countries, including Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, were contributing to the effort.

“We’ll do whatever we have to do to support the diplomats in the negotiation, and carry out the UN, the international sanctions,” Mattis said.

The renewed enforcement push comes amid uncertainty over the future of US-North Korea diplomacy. US President Donald Trump has previously indicated that he could hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but progress on denuclearisation has remained limited.

The latest developments highlight the difficult balance Washington and its allies face: maintaining diplomatic channels with Pyongyang while ensuring that international sanctions remain effective and are not undermined through covert trade or support from other countries.