Russia "Relationship with Korea, We Didn't Ruin"

Regarding the relationship between South Korea and Russia, which has been strained due to sanctions against Russia since the war in Ukraine, the Russian government insisted that it was not Russia that ruined the relationship first.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mariya Zakharova told reporters ahead of the Valdai International Debate Club in Sochi, southern Russia, on the 5th local time, stressing that "it has not ruined relations with South Korea."

Zakharova said Russia did not develop or adopt sanctions against South Korea first, adding: "Unfortunately, we have seen South Korea follow the U.S. lead and are probably under pressure."

The comments came after South Korea was asked for comment on reports that it is considering sending military experts to Ukraine in response to the North Korean military's dispatch to Russia.

"If South Korea wants stability in the region, it should not disrupt the balance of power existing in the region and not drag the region into other confrontations," Zakharova said, warning against intervening in the war in Ukraine.

He added that there is a need to develop good relations and mutually respectful relations based on international law.