U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to South Korea's Ambassador to the U.N. Cho Hyun before a security council meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, May 11. Reuters-Yonhap

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) convened an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile provocations but failed to produce a tangible outcome due to opposition from China and Russia.

The special session of the 15-member council came at the request of the U.S., which condemned North Korea's recent missile tests as "a blatant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions."

"Let's be clear. The DPRK is not undertaking its activities defensively in response to threatening behavior. This is self-initiated, unprovoked campaign of ballistic missile launches that threatens its neighbors and attempts to undermine this council," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in the session, also attended by the representatives of South Korea and Japan.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

The top U.S. representative to the U.N. said her country remains committed to engagement with North Korea, but insisted the UNSC needs to take action to prevent further provocations by Pyongyang.

"It's time to stop providing tacit permission and to start taking action," said Thomas-Greenfield, noting Pyongyang has launched 17 missiles, including at least three intercontinental ballistic missiles, this year.