SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - South Korea's idea of providing military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia met with strong opposition from President Vladimir Putin.
At the end of his visit to Vietnam, Putin warned that South Korea would be making 'a big mistake' if it supplies lethal weapons to Ukraine.
'As for the supply of lethal weapons to the combat zone in Ukraine, this would be a very big mistake. I hope that this will not happen. If this happens, then we will also make appropriate decisions, which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea,' Putin told reporters Thursday.
The Russian leader arrived in Vietnam after signing a defense pact with his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
South Korea summoned Russia's ambassador in protest on Friday.
South Korean Foreign Ministry said First Vice Minister Kim Hong-kyun urged Russia to 'immediately halt military cooperation' with North Korea and abide by UN Security Council resolutions.
South Korea's strong ally the United States expressed serious concern over the defense pact that Russia and North Korea signed earlier this week.
When asked about the ramifications of the agreement at a teleconference Thursday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said it should be a concern to any country that cares about maintaining peace and stability, not just on the Korean Peninsula but in the Indo-Pacific.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
