Moscow: Russia's deputy foreign minister has issued a stern warning, stating that Moscow will take "retaliatory measures" if South Korea decides to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, as reported by Russian media. The statement was made by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko during an interview with Russia's Tass news agency, where he discussed the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), an initiative involving U.S. weapons.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Rudenko emphasized Russia's long-standing position regarding South Korea's potential involvement in supplying lethal arms to Ukraine. He mentioned that Moscow has communicated its stance to Seoul through multiple channels, stressing that any such participation, whether direct or indirect, would be unacceptable to Russia. The deputy foreign minister warned that such actions could severely impact bilateral relations between Russia and South Korea and might compel Russia to take retaliatory steps, although he expressed hope that it would not come to that.

Rudenko's comments follow earlier warnings from Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson about potential retaliation if South Korea joins the PURL initiative. This warning comes as reports suggest that Seoul is contemplating joining the framework. Until now, South Korea has limited its support to Ukraine to nonlethal and humanitarian aid since the conflict with Russia began in 2022.

In the same interview, Rudenko also addressed concerns regarding Japan, stating that Russia would implement "adequate countermeasures" if Japan posed a threat to its Far East borders.