North Korea successfully launched a missile Sunday capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States. The launch resoundingly proves that verbal warnings from other nations mean nothing to Pyongyang. Still, expect that proof to change nothing.

At a UN Security Council emergency meeting yesterday, member countries failed to agree on how the United Nations should react to North Korea’s provocative move. Hardly a surprise, China and Russia resisted calls for tougher sanctions, arguing that it was not clear whether the rocket launch violated UN resolutions forbidding North Korea from developing missile technology. With the power of veto, this means the Russians and Chinese will likely delay and defang the UN’s official response.

North Korea called the three-stage rocket a “peaceful” launch that put a satellite into orbit; South Korean officials confirmed that the rocket was carrying a satellite.

The same technology, however, can be used to fire weapons, including nuclear warheads. Iran launched a similar missile in February. Experts say the two nations have been cooperating on developing the technology. Iran is reportedly quite close to manufacturing its own nuclear warheads; North Korea has already tested a nuclear weapon. Intelligence agencies said last week that Pyongyang has already assembled five to eight more nuclear warheads.

Aware that such a test was imminent, President Barack Obama said on Friday that such a launch would “put enormous strains” on negotiations with North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program. Clearly, North Korea doesn’t fear “enormous strains.” In fact, it warned that if the UN moved toward imposing more sanctions after the launch, it would simply pull out of negotiations altogether.

The new U.S. administration has made clear its commitment to trying to solve international problems through engaging enemies rather than being tough with them. North Korea is a classic example of the limits of “soft power” with no corresponding “hard power.”