Russian President Vladimir Putin warned South Korea against supplying arms to Ukraine, saying this would be a "serious mistake." Paying a visit to Vietnam on Thursday, Putin said Moscow would respond with corresponding actions not to the liking of the present political course in Seoul.
The South Korean government had voiced its concerns over the new strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea that provided for mutual aid in case of attack, and said this partnership violated UN sanctions against Pyongyang. It also threatened to revisit its policy not to export arms to Kiev.
Under President Kim Jong Un, North Korea also faces differing degrees of heavy UN sanctions that bar any type of weapon trade or transfer of military technology over its nuclear weapons program.
The partnership agreement was inked during last week's state visit of the Russian president to Pyongyang with Kim Jong Un. Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Hanoi, Putin dismissed such concerns from Seoul, stating that an accord would come into force only in case of aggression against either Russia or North Korea by a third party.
"As far as I know, (South Korea) is not planning any aggression" against North Korea, he said.
This means that "there is no need to fear our cooperation".
Where Ukraine is concerned, Putin said that there would be no dispatch of North Korean troops from Russia, but hinted at possible deliveries of advanced weaponry to North Korea in retaliation for Western arms supplies to Ukraine.
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