Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened South Korea with actions “unlikely to please” its leadership after the Asian country indicated that it was planning to review its policy of not supplying arms to Ukraine.
Knewz.com has learned that the verbal menace stemmed from Putin’s meeting with the press during his stopover in Vietnam shortly after visiting North Korea, signing a defense pact, and angering Kim Jong-Un’s southern neighbors in the process.
Putin told reporters that South Korea would be making a “big mistake” by arming Ukraine and further stated: “If this happens, we will make appropriate decisions that are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea,” per Kremlin.ru
The Russian autocrat’s statement followed his visit to Kim Jong-Un's reclusive fiefdom where he was met with great fanfare.
The two made a show of their purported friendship and exchanged lavish gifts before announcing a NATO-like military pact that would see either party assist the other if they were to be attacked by an external force.
The agreement drew concern from the United States and South Korea and according to the latter, per Yonhap Newsagency, the magnitude and nature of its (South Korea's) donations to Ukraine would be determined by Russia’s interaction with North Korea.
“There are various options for providing weapons, and our position on the recent developments between Russia and North Korea depends on how Russia approaches the situation going forward,” South Korean National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin told Yonhap News.
The Democratic Asian state also summoned the Russian ambassador to its capital, Seoul, to make its unhappiness known.
In a later statement, the country’s first vice minister, Kim Hong-kyun, conveyed the administration’s sentiments when he declared South Korea’s “stern position” on the pact and demanded that Russia and North Korea “immediately halt military cooperation,” per Hankyoreh News.
Kim further stated “any cooperation that could directly or indirectly help reinforce the North Korean military power is a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution” and called on Russia to act responsibly.
The U.S. also weighed in on the pact with an unnamed official telling CNN News:
“These developments should concern any country that cares about maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, abiding by UN Security Council resolutions, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal invasion.”
An earlier report by Knewz.com cited fears from the U.S. administration that Russia may share nuclear technologies for ballistic missiles and submarines with the pariah state.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg seconded the latter expressing his concerns at a press conference following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 19.
“We are of course also concerned about the potential support that Russia provides to North Korea when it comes to supporting their missile and nuclear programs,” Stoltenberg said via Reuters.
