Ludenco Deputy Foreign Minister: "South Korea Should Refrain from Reckless Measures"
Russia warned on the 24th (local time) that it would "respond in all necessary ways" if South Korea provides lethal weapons to Ukraine.
According to TASS news agency, Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, said in an interview that day, "If South Korean weapons are used to kill Russian citizens, it should be realized that the relationship between the two countries could be completely destroyed."
Deputy Minister Rudenko said, "Of course, we will respond in all necessary ways," adding, "This is unlikely to strengthen South Korea's own security." He urged South Korea to calmly assess the situation and refrain from 'reckless actions,' adding, "I hope the South Korean government prioritizes long-term national interests rather than acting on short-term and opportunistic external temptations."
Earlier, on the 7th, President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a press conference that until now, humanitarian and economic support had been provided to Ukraine, but the situation changed with the variable of North Korean troop deployment. President Yoon said, "If (North Korean troops) gain experience in modern warfare, it could pose a fatal problem to our security, so we will change the support methods step by step depending on the degree of North Korean involvement, moving away from the previous humanitarian and pacifist perspective," adding, "We do not exclude the possibility of providing weapons support." Deputy Minister Rudenko's warning appears to be in response to such remarks.
Regarding claims that deployed North Korean troops are on Ukrainian territory, Deputy Minister Rudenko drew a line, saying it is an attempt to justify military pressure on North Korea.
He also criticized the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for supplying weapons to Taiwan, worsening tensions in Asia. He claimed, "The United States and its allies, including the European Union (EU), are deliberately escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait," adding, "This is the same method as trying to make Ukraine oppose Russia and destroy historically close and friendly relations with Russia."
When asked about the possibility of increased tensions in the Asia-Pacific region after the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, he said, "I will not speculate on the plans of the next U.S. administration," but added, "At the same time, the overall situation in the region continues to develop in a worsening direction."
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