Russia has again sent a warning message to South Korea over the possibility that Seoul could provide support to Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that South Korean military assistance to Ukraine would inevitably damage relations between the two countries, and that Moscow had repeatedly conveyed this position to Seoul through diplomatic channels, according to Russian state news agency TASS on the 25th. He added that Russia expects South Korea to maintain its current stance. The remarks came in response to media reports that Seoul has declined to supply air defense systems to Ukraine.
Rudenko also said he was confident that many people in South Korea support normalizing political dialogue with Russia and restoring trade and economic cooperation. But he argued that any improvement in bilateral ties would be impossible unless South Korean authorities abandon their participation in Western sanctions against Russia.
Rudenko's comments came as news emerged that two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces are headed to South Korea. The two prisoners were reportedly taken by Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region in January last year.
