The threat comes as Russia has forced 10,000 newly naturalized citizens to fight in the Ukrainian war and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the damaged eastern region of Donetsk.
South Korean government officials say Russia must not “make any mistakes” that may damage relationships between both countries.
The spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lim Soo-suk, he stated this Thursday at a press conference in Seoul. She says it in reference to the recent statements of the official of the Russian Foreign MinistryMaria Zakharova, who warned Seoul that will not facilitate the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
“We hope that Russia stop depending on North Korea and act as a permanent member of the UN Security Council“, declared Lim Soo-suk.
Putin has strengthened ties with North Korea
The warning comes at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin has strengthened ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Unon a visit to the North Korean capital, at the beginning of the month.
The two leaders they signed a pact why Both countries would protect each other from foreign aggression. Both nations maintain cold relations with the West and are subject to numerous sanctions.
Meanwhile, Russian media claim that some 10,000 newly naturalized Russian citizens have been sent to war against Ukraine.
According to the Russian news agency ‘Interfax’, a Kremlin official, Alexander Bastrykinhas declared that the newly naturalized “must” enroll in the army and “participate in a special military operation“.
“Yeah About 10,000 of them have been sent to the area of special military operations,” Bastrykin reportedly declared.
30,000 had not enlisted in the Army
The “investigators” had also forcibly “captured” and searched to 30,000 citizens who had not enlisted in the Armyor, added the president of the Investigation Committee.
Other media outlets claim that South Korea expects North Korea sends engineers and military personnel to the occupied Donetsk region, in Ukraine, to rebuild Russian infrastructure. South Korean broadcaster ‘TV Chosun’ recently reported that a government official stated that North Korean workers would be sent already in July 2024.
Russia is illegally annexed parts of Donetsk and three other regions in 2022, shortly after invading Ukraine.
The American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said they “have not yet observed” reports suggesting that North Korean personnel have the intention to participate in combat operations in Ukrainebut engineering support from the highly isolated country could “unleash Russian combat power.”
This would be for frontline operations and other efforts supporting Russia in its expansion of military infrastructure and defensive fortifications in occupied Ukraine,” the organization said in an online statement.
The news comes a day after the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenskiand its commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, They will visit troops in the eastern Donetsk region.
The Kremlin army has intensified its efforts to evict Ukrainian forcesexhausted and outgunned, who control the eastern and northeastern areas.
