Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday “not to rule out” the possibility of sending weapons to North Korea, while assuring that the supply of weapons by South Korea to Ukraine would be a “very serious error.
Mr. Putin had already threatened at the beginning of June to deliver weapons to third countries, in response to the delivery of Western arms to Ukraine and the authorization given to kyiv by the United States and several European countries to strike the Russian territory with the Western missiles delivered to it.
“We reserve the right to supply weapons to other parts of the world, bearing in mind our agreements with North Korea, and I do not rule out this possibility,” Putin told reporters. during a visit to Vietnam.
He also warned South Korea against any arms supplies to Ukraine, while Seoul announced that it would “reconsider” its policy banning such deliveries, in reaction to the signing of a defense agreement between North Korea and Russia on Wednesday.
“Providing lethal weapons to a war zone in Ukraine would be a very serious mistake. I hope this doesn’t happen. If so, then we will have to make an appropriate decision, which is unlikely to please the South Korean leadership,” Mr. Putin said.
The Russian president assured that Seoul had “no need to worry” about this defense agreement between Pyongyang and Moscow because it only applies “in the event of aggression against one of the signatories”.
“There is no need to be afraid of our cooperation in this area,” continued Vladimir Putin.
He also assured that Russia had not requested direct military involvement from North Korea in the conflict in Ukraine. “We’re not asking anyone for it and no one has offered it to us,” he said.
The Russian president also criticized NATO’s expansion in Asia, saying that a “system of blocs is being established” on this continent.
“NATO is establishing itself there as a permanent residence. This of course poses a threat to all countries in the region, including Russia. We are obliged to react and we will,” he said.