MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Seoul's illegitimate sanctions against Russian ships, organizations and individuals are deeply disappointing, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"The South Korean government announced the decision to impose unilateral sanctions against two Russian ships beginning on April 3. They allegedly transferred military cargoes between Russia and North Korea. Two organizations and two individuals have also been sanctioned for allegedly bringing North Korean manpower to our country. This is an unfriendly step from Seoul, it is very disappointing. The imposition of illegitimate sanctions will affect South Korea-Russia relations in a negative way," she said.
Seoul’s unproductive line
The diplomat emphasized that Russia-South Korea relations are already "in deep crisis, with help from Washington." "I would like to emphasize that we will not comment on the accusations about Russia-North Korea military cooperation. Everything we do complies with relevant agreements and national law. We are totally committed to the UN Security Council resolutions," she added. "Russia is developing good-neighborly relations with North Korea in compliance with international law, not damaging South Korea’s national security," Zakharova said.
"South Korea is very concerned about the damage it could suffer from Russia-North Korea cooperation. Does it not see what damage it inflicts on our country, North Korea, and the entire region, falling under US pressure?
Maybe Seoul should impose sanctions on itself for disrupting the normal and natural line of economic relations in this sub-region," the spokeswoman pointed out.
"We are disappointed by South Korean attempts to resolve the issues of the Korean peninsula by sanctions and pressure, which proved ineffective. This leads only to the escalation of tension. It also leads to cutting natural ties between the countries and, as a result, affects the security of South Korea itself in a negative way," she added.
According to Zakharova, Russia wants Seoul to reconsider how it is acting, "to come back to the joint search for political and diplomatic solutions in light of legal concerns of all interested parties."
She pointed out that Moscow will respond to Seoul’s sanctions. "A response will follow, just as it always does," the diplomat said.