Russia’s Deputy Minister Warns of ‘Dangerous’ Situation with South Korea—Will It Lead to War?

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko warned that South Korea’s recent actions toward North Korea could be perceived as provocations.

On this day, the Russian state-run TASS news agency reported that Deputy Minister Rudenko said in Islamabad, Pakistan, “The recent actions taken by South Korea are provocative and could undermine stability on the Korean Peninsula, escalating tensions.”

Rudenko described the current situation as dangerous and said it was time to stop.

The previous day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also claimed, “South Korea’s actions can be seen as a serious violation of North Korea’s sovereignty and an act of internal interference, as they destroy the legitimate political system of an independent country and deprive North Korea of its right to autonomous development.”

These remarks are understood to be in response to North Korea’s recent significant statement from its Foreign Ministry, which accused South Korea of distributing leaflets.

Rudenko also said, “If an act of aggression is committed against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, all necessary measures will be taken in accordance with our legislation, in accordance with the DPRK’s legislation.”

The treaty referred to by Rudenko is the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed in June between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

As Rudenko mentioned, Article 4 of the treaty states, “If either party faces a state of war due to an armed invasion by one or more states, the other party shall provide military and other assistance without delay in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of North Korea and the Russian Federation.”

Article 3 stipulates that if a direct threat of armed aggression occurs against either party, the parties shall promptly activate negotiation channels to coordinate their positions and agree on practical measures at the request of one party.

Meanwhile, last week, Russia submitted the ratification bill to the lower house of parliament (State Duma) and is expected to review it by mid-November. The bill includes the appointment of Deputy Minister Rudenko as President Putin’s official representative regarding the North Korea-Russia treaty.