(Moscow) 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 mistake”.
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 supplying weapons to Ukraine, while Seoul announced it would “reconsider” its policy barring such deliveries in response to the signing of a defense deal. between North Korea and Russia on Wednesday.
“Providing lethal weapons to the 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 will probably not please the South Korean leadership,” Putin said.
“There is no need to be afraid of our cooperation in this area,” Vladimir Putin continued.
He also assured that Russia had not requested direct military involvement of North Korea in the conflict in Ukraine. “We are not asking anyone for it and no one has proposed it to us,” he said.
The Russian president also criticized NATO’s expansion in Asia, saying that a “block system is being established” on this continent.
“NATO is taking up permanent residence there. This of course poses a threat to all countries in the region, including Russia. We are obliged to react and we will,” he said.
