A U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting on North Korea’s attempted spy satellite launch ended without a consensus on Friday, as China and Russia once again opposed U.S.-led calls for action against the DPRK. 

The divisions within the Council have long been clear as Pyongyang’s main allies consistently vetoed Washington’s calls for statements of condemnation or fresh sanctions following ballistic missile launches, but are now also evident in discussions of Wednesday’s satellite launch, unlike previous launches in 2013 and 2016.

At the start of the briefing, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said Pyongyang’s sovereign right