Russia’s Red Flag: South Korea’s Stance on Ukraine Weapons

The Russian government has issued a stern warning that relations between Russia and South Korea could face disaster if South Korea supplies lethal weapons to Ukraine.

According to the Russian TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on the 26th that if the South Korean government provides lethal weapons to Ukraine, it could have fatal consequences for South Korea-Russia relations.

During a briefing with the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, Zakharova stated, “We want to warn against hasty actions by South Korea that could lead to irreversible consequences for relations between Russia and South Korea.” She made this remark while mentioning that the South Korean presidential office had announced it could reconsider supporting Ukraine with lethal weapons concerning the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed between North Korea and Russia on the 19th.

Zakharova also added that Russia would not stand by indifferently if South Korean weapons and equipment were transferred to Ukraine and that this could lead to a deterioration of South Korea-Russia relations. She argued that if all member countries of the UN Security Council (UNSC) are seriously interested in détente, the effective measure would be modifying the sanctions regime against North Korea as soon as possible.