Japan, backed by the United States and Britain, called for UN sanctions against North Korea’s weapons program after the communist state tested a series of missiles, including a long-range weapon. Russia and China, who have veto power in the UN Security Council, opposed sanctions.

US President George W. Bush, reflecting the cautious response to Pyongyang’s latest sabre-rattling, said the tests further isolated North Korea but did not diminish his desire to solve a standoff over its nuclear and missile programs.

“I view this as an opportunity to remind the international community that we must work together to continue to work hard to convince the North Korean leader to give up any weapons program,” Bush told reporters. “They’ve agreed to do that in the past, and we will hold them to account.”

Defying international warnings, North Korea launched at least six missiles early on Wednesday and a seventh some 12 hours later, officials in Japan and South Korea said.

The long-range Taepodong-2 missile failed 40 seconds into its flight, US officials said. Japanese and South Korean officials said the missiles fell into the sea separating the Korean peninsula from Japan.

Japan circulated a Security Council resolution demanding that nations withhold all funds, material and technology that could be used for North Korea’s missile program.

<B>“Hard to understand”</B>

Russia and China, after an emergency council meeting, made clear they would oppose any sanctions. Both nations, who have veto power, favor a council statement, which is weaker. No agreement was reached and council members met again yesterday after consulting their respective capitals.

Though Washington had long warned of a harsh response if Pyongyang tested the Taepodong-2, Bush and other officials stopped short of threatening to push for UN sanctions. Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was conferring with her counterparts in the stalled six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program to resolve the issue of Pyongyang’s missile tests.

“We want to continue to send a clear message that there is a better way forward for the leader of North Korea”, Bush said. “It’s hard to understand his intentions. It’s hard to understand why he would not only fire one missile that failed but five others...”

Administration officials made clear it would not allow North Korea’s attention-grabbing missile demonstration draw it into direct talks with Pyongyang. “If it was the desire of Kim Jong-il to turn this into a two-party negotiation or standoff between the United States and North Korea, he blew it,” said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Chief US negotiator Chris Hill said the tests would not help Pyongyang in the six-party talks. “They’re not going to get a better deal through this ; in fact what they’re going to face is a six-party (negotiating) process that’s more united than ever before,” he told PBS Television. American and Asian stocks fell after the missile tests.

Experts believe North Korea has enough nuclear material to make at least a half dozen atomic bombs, while exports of missiles and related technology have been a key source of hard currency for the isolated and impoverished regime.

Missile testing by itself is not illegal. The United States, India and Pakistan, have conducted recent tests. But the UN resolution states North Korea endangered civil aviation and shipping by failing to provide advance notice of the launches, and that Pyongyang was the world’s leading proliferator of ballistic missiles and related technology.

Hill was expected to leave on Wednesday for to meet with America’s partners in the six-party talks — China, Russia, South Korea and Japan. China, which is hosting the talks, is North Korea’s closest ally. Its UN ambassador, Wang Guangya, voiced a cautious note and in closed consultations said he favored a statement rather than a resolution or sanctions, diplomats reported.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitali Churkin took a similar stance, saying he favored a diplomatic solution. “In my mind we could consider the format of a presidential statement”, Churkin said. “I would caution you against whipping up emotions too much.” North Korea fired an earlier version of its Taepodong missile in 1998 over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean. China at that time opposed any Security Council action and the council merely issued a statementexpressing regret.