In a meeting with the press on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Forum, the Russian president said that he “appreciated” the position of South Korea, which has not sent weapons to Ukraine, despite the fact that Seoul joined Washington in imposing sanctions. He confirmed commitment to strengthening ties with Pyongyang. Instead, a tough approach was adopted with Japan: “At the moment the conditions are not in place” to resume talks on the sovereignty of the Kuril Islands.
Seoul (/Agencies) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said he greatly appreciates South Korea’s position of not directly supplying weapons to Ukraine, adding that Moscow is willing to restore relations with Seoul, a statement he made yesterday on the sidelines of the Forum St. Petersburg International Economic: “As in our relations with Italy, we do not see any Russophobic position in collaboration with the South Korean government, nor is there any supply of weapons for the conflict. We appreciate it very much,” Putin said, causing some surprise, because relations between the two countries had cooled after Seoul decided to join the United States in imposing sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine.
Putin went on to say that he was aware of military ties between the United States and South Korea: “Today, unfortunately, some problems have arisen in many areas of our cooperation, which is a shame. But this has not been our choice. It is the election of the Korean leadership. For our part, the channel is open and we are ready,” commented the Russian president, who reiterated his interest in strengthening ties with Pyongyang. “As for relations with North Korea, our neighbors, we will develop them whether anyone likes it or not,” he said. Regarding North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, Putin suggested that the issue is unlikely to be resolved as long as Pyongyang feels it faces external threats.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened considerably in recent years, to the point that Putin has considered organizing reciprocal visits. In March, South Korea’s Defense Ministry reported that North Korea had sent around 7,000 containers of ammunition and military equipment to Russia in 2023. Pyongyang used the invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to step up missile tests, according to experts, although Russia and North Korea have always denied arms transfers. In exchange for military support, North Korea would receive food and economic aid.
In late May, South Korea and Japan imposed sanctions against North Korean individuals and Russian ships over the arms trade between Moscow and Pyongyang. But although on the one hand Putin showed some openness towards South Korea, he told the Japanese media present at yesterday’s meeting that at the moment the conditions are not in place to resume talks on sovereignty over the Kuril Islands (object of a dispute between the two countries since the end of World War II) due to Tokyo’s position of support for Ukraine. Since the war broke out, all negotiations have been suspended. Putin also said that he would not hesitate to visit the four islands, reiterating that they are part of Russian territory. The lack of resolution of the dispute is the reason why Russia and Japan did not sign a post-war peace agreement.
Add Comment