The U.S. and its allies condemned North Korea and Russia’s arms trade over the war in Ukraine at a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Friday, in Seoul’s final effort to draw attention to DPRK issues at the close of its one-month stint as Council president.

However, representatives for both Pyongyang and Moscow denied the accusations and criticized what they called Washington’s destabilizing behavior during the meeting in New York, reflecting a rift on the Council that one expert said demonstrates its “inherent limitations.”

Friday’s session, which was presided over by South Korea, started with briefings by arms experts, and