UNITED NATIONS — The United States on Nov 4 called out Russia and China at the United Nations Security Council for "shamelessly protecting" and emboldening North Korea to further violate UN sanctions as Pyongyang pledged to accelerate building up its "nuclear force."

"Russia and China have shamelessly protected Pyongyang from any reprisal, or even condemnation of its actions," said deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood.

"Shielded from closer scrutiny of its sanctions-violating activities by Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang, unsurprisingly, has been emboldened to continue advancing its unlawful ballistic missile, nuclear, and WMD programmes," he said, using the acronym for weapons of mass destruction.

The 15-member council was meeting over Pyongyang's test launch on Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Wood said Russia and China had prevented the council from issuing a statement of condemnation, a move that needs consensus.

North Korea's UN Ambassador Kim Song told the Security Council that Pyongyang would accelerate the buildup of its nuclear force to "counter any threat presented by hostile nuclear weapons states."

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