South Korea would be making 'big mistake' if it supplies arms to Ukraine, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (Jun 20) warned South Korea, saying that sending weapons to Ukraine would be a "big mistake". While speaking at a news conference in Vietnam, Putin reacted to a report from Yonhap news earlier on Thursday which said South Korea would review the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine in the aftermath of Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signing a mutual defence pact.

Putin visited North Korea before arriving in Vietnam - a visit which has angered the West.

"With regard to deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine to combat zones, this would be a very big mistake. If that happens, then we will take the according decision, which the current leadership of South Korea will probably not like," said Putin, further adding that Seoul had nothing to worry about the pact between Moscow and Pyongyang.

"South Korea, the Republic of Korea has nothing to worry about because our military assistance under the treaty we signed only arises if aggression is carried out against one of the signatories. As far as I know, the Republic of Korea is not planning aggression against the DPRK (North Korea)," Putin told reporters.

He warned Seoul against moveto supply weapons to Kyiv. Putin said that the supply of lethal weapons to the war zone in Ukraine would be a "very big mistake" and also added he hoped this would not happen.

"And if it does happen, then we will also take appropriate decisions, which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea," added Putin.

Meanwhile, Putin said he "does not rule out" sending weapons to North Korea and called it repercussions for the West arming Ukraine.

"Those who send these (missiles to Ukraine), think that they are not fighting us, but I said, including in Pyongyang, that we then reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world, with regard to our agreements with the DPRK," Putin said in Vietnam.

"I do not rule this one out," he added.

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Russia considering changing its nuclear doctrine

Putin also said that Russia was thinking about possible changes to its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. The existing doctrine states that Russia may use such weapons in response to a nuclear attack or in the event of a conventional attack that poses an existential threat to the state.

(With inputs from agencies)