Moscow’s Stern Warning to Korea Taking the Wrong Path: Relations Will Be Shattered If Weapons Are Sent to Ukraine
Moscow, February 9 (February 21) – Russia has expressed objection and issued a strong warning regarding reports that South Korea is considering the possibility of participating in NATO’s “Priority Requirements for Ukraine (PURL) Initiative.” Official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has stated that such a step would cause irreparable damage to bilateral relations.
“Seoul’s official stance has been that it will not participate in the efforts of the Western alliance to provide weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian military,” Zakharova said. “This news has surprised us, as such a step does not align with Seoul’s official position.”
Moscow had previously praised South Korea for this stance. According to Zakharova, that very position was seen as a basis for preventing further deterioration of Russia-South Korea relations and as a prerequisite for the future restoration of bilateral dialogue and cooperation.
The spokesperson further warned, “Such participation by South Korea, whether direct or indirect, will only push the possibility of conflict resolution further away. It will cause irreparable damage to the relations between Russia and South Korea and will eliminate the possibility of restoring constructive dialogue on the issues of the Korean Peninsula. In such a situation, we will be forced to take retaliatory measures, which may include asymmetric measures.”
Russia has urged South Korea to reconsider its stance and refrain from any form of participation in arms supplies to Ukraine.
