US secretary of state Mike Pompeo faced an uphill battle to convince UN Security Council members to maintain global pressure on North Korea, after China and Russia both argued for substantial concessions. 

As the US engages in a delicate diplomatic effort to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons programme, Mr Pompeo told a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday that the country has successfully dodged the full impact of UN-imposed sanctions.

“The United States has assessed — and we can say in no uncertain terms — that the cap of 500,000 barrels has been breached this year,” Mr Pompeo told UN Security Council members, in reference to limits placed on North Korea oil imports. “We continue to see illegal imports of additional refined petroleum using ship-to-ship transfers, which are clearly prohibited under the resolution.”