On Friday, South Korea denied giving Ukraine deadly weaponry, claiming it had never done so in retaliation for Moscow.
In response to Vladimir Putin’s statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that his nation solely offered Kyiv humanitarian and nonviolent help.
Yoon was cited by Yonhap News Agency as saying to reporters in Seoul, “We’ve given Ukraine humanitarian and nonviolent support in solidarity with the world community, but never lethal weaponry or anything like that.
Nevertheless, he continued, “it’s an issue of our sovereignty, and I’d like you to know that we are working to uphold peaceful and cordial relations with all nations throughout the world, including Russia.”
Putin had earlier threatened that such measures will sever their ties and that Russia is aware of Seoul’s decision to give Ukraine deadly weapons and ammunition.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, asked South Korea for military hardware in April of this year.
Seoul, meanwhile, declined to offer military assistance and vowed to keep giving Kiev humanitarian help.