According to Russia's state-run news agency Ria Novosti, Russia's presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the Kremlin does not agree with Seoul's approach. "We are supporters of building good relations with all states in the region -- both with [North Korea] and South Korea."
Peskov's comment came in response to remarks by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during an interview with Reuters ahead of his trip to Washington to attend the NATO summit. In the interview, Yoon called North Korea "a menace to the international society" and warned that Russia must "sensibly decide which side, the South or the North, is more important and necessary for its own interests."
He added, "It is difficult to understand what [Yoon] means. We support building good relations with all countries. But how can we build good relations [with countries] that take a hostile position towards us?"
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have become strained since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, with South Korea joining international sanctions against Moscow.
Russia has repeatedly warned Korea not to provide anything other than humanitarian support such as food and medical supplies to Ukraine. However, Korea recently announced it might consider supplying weapons to Kyiv after Russian President Vladimir Putin forged a military pact with North Korea at a summit in Pyongyang late last month, which stipulates mutual assistance in case of aggression against either country.
