Russian Ambassador to Korea "Deep Regret Over South Korea's Sanctions on Russia... Attempts to Intimidate Will Fail"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The Russian Embassy in South Korea expressed regret over the South Korean government's participation in sanctions against Russia.

Andrey Kulik, the Russian Ambassador to South Korea, made this statement during a press conference on the Ukraine situation held at the Russian Embassy in Seoul on the 28th. Ambassador Kulik said regarding South Korea's export restrictions on Russia, "It inevitably causes our deep regret," adding, "Over the 30 years since diplomatic relations were established, the relationship between Russia and South Korea has only developed positively, and the trend of increasing cooperation now seems to be changing direction."

Ambassador Kulik emphasized that South Korea has no reason to join sanctions against Russia when considering its national interests. He said, "If there is a single factor that compels sanctions, it is the strong external pressure South Korea is currently facing," and added, "If South Korea has surrendered to such pressure and joined the sanctions, the trend of development in our bilateral relations will change." The "external pressure" mentioned by Ambassador Kulik is interpreted as referring to the South Korea-US relationship.

Regarding the South-North-Russia cooperative projects in various fields such as gas, railroads, and electricity, he stated, "It is clear that the economic sanctions imposed on Russia do not help the progress of these projects at all," and added, "The South-North-Russia cooperation projects are closely linked to resolving the nuclear issue, inter-Korean relations, peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, and establishing prosperity."

Local Defense Forces of Ukraine Inspecting Destroyed Russian Military Vehicles
(Kharkiv AFP=Yonhap News) On the fourth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, February 27 (local time), members of the Ukrainian Local Defense Forces are inspecting a destroyed Russian infantry mobility vehicle, the GAZ Tigr, after urban combat in Kharkiv, the second-largest city. 2022.2.28
leekm@yna.co.kr
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Ambassador Kulik strongly criticized the sanctions against Russia, which the West and the international community are participating in. He said, "Attempts to intimidate Russia will always fail," and argued, "Countries participating in the sanctions not only cause significant damage to bilateral relations with Russia but must also clearly recognize that they are participating in the illegal actions of Western countries."

Additionally, Ambassador Kulik pointed out that South Korean media reports on the Ukraine situation only from a Western perspective. He said, "The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deny Russia's right to seek NATO's non-expansion," and added, "They completely ignore the condition that the freedom to form alliances should be prioritized and that it should not infringe on the security of other countries." Ambassador Kulik's claims align with the logic expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he declared a special military operation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on the 24th.

Regarding the casualties among Ukrainian civilians, including children, he insisted, "Fact-checking is necessary." Ambassador Kulik said, "It is difficult to understand why children were present at military facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.