'Big mistake' for South Korea to arm Ukraine - Putin

 Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to South Korea, stating it would be making "a big mistake" if it decides to arm Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. This comes after South Korea mentioned it was considering the possibility in response to a new pact between Russia and North Korea to assist each other in the event of "aggression."

"If Seoul decides to supply arms to Kyiv, Moscow will make decisions that are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea," Putin told reporters on Thursday. The Russian leader made these remarks while in Vietnam, following a grand visit to Pyongyang where he signed a mutual defense agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Putin also indicated that Moscow is prepared to arm Pyongyang if the US and its allies continue supplying Ukraine with weapons. "Those who supply these weapons believe they are not at war with us. I said, including in Pyongyang, that we then reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world," Putin stated.

South Korea had earlier condemned the Russian-North Korean agreement as a threat to its national security. National security adviser Chang Ho-jin mentioned that South Korea planned to "reconsider the issue of arms support to Ukraine." Following Putin's comments, South Korea's presidential office announced on Friday that it would consider "various options" for supplying arms to Ukraine, with its stance dependent on Russia's approach to the issue. The office also summoned the Russian ambassador, Georgy Zinoviev, to protest the pact, demanding that Moscow "immediately cease" military cooperation with Pyongyang.

While South Korea has provided humanitarian aid and military equipment to Ukraine, it has refrained from supplying lethal weapons, adhering to its policy of not arming countries at war. Some in Ukraine hope that the growing military collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang might prompt Seoul to reconsider its stance. Analysts had earlier suggested that Kyiv would use Putin's visit to Pyongyang to increase pressure.

During the visit, Kim Jong Un pledged "full support" for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and there is increasing evidence that Russia has already deployed North Korean missiles in Ukraine. Early on Friday, John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, expressed concern over the Russian-North Korean agreement, calling it a concern for any country interested in maintaining peace and stability in the region. He noted that the agreement was "no surprise," as the US had been warning about the two countries' "burgeoning defense relationship" for many months.

Japan also expressed serious concern, with government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi stating that the agreement was "unacceptable" and that President Putin's stance on military cooperation with North Korea was troubling.

Analysts suggest the treaty could have significant implications globally and regionally. Besides the potential for North Korea to openly arm Russia, it might also see Russia intervening in any new conflict on the Korean peninsula. The two Koreas are still technically at war and maintain a heavily guarded border, where tensions have recently worsened. On Thursday, North Korean troops "briefly crossed" the border and retreated after the South fired warning shots, marking the third such incident in less than three weeks. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated that the two earlier cases appeared unintentional.