Russia blames South Korea for tension, calls for diplomacy

15/10/2024 6:24

        Russia's Foreign Ministry accused South Korea on Monday of boosting tension in its relations with the Communist North and called for diplomacy in restoring calm and security on the Korean peninsula.
        
        South Korea said the North was getting ready to blow up roads that cross the heavily militarized border in an escalating exchange of verbal barbs after the North accused its rival of sending drones over its capital Pyongyang.
        
        Russia has drawn closer to North Korea in diplomatic and military ties since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged visits.
        
        In the 2000s, Russia supported U.N. sanctions against North Korea on the grounds that its nuclear tests threatened to hurt efforts to halt nuclear proliferation. In March, Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution on renewing a panel of experts examining North Korea’s violations of Security Council sanctions.