ST. PETERSBURG. June 5 (Interfax) - Russia believes that relations with South Korea are not deteriorating and is interested in their development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"We really hope that Russian-Korean relations are not deteriorating, taking into account also our interest in the development of bilateral relations with respect to the Korean Peninsula in general," Putin said at a meeting with foreign journalists on Wednesday.
"No Russophobic sentiment is evident in the work of the Republic of Korea's leadership," Putin said.
Russia has noted the absence of direct supplies of weapons from South Korea to the conflict zone in Ukraine, he said. "And we highly value it," Putin said.
"But we also see that some approaches, purchases of weapons by U.S. companies to subsequently send them to the combat zone in Ukraine are being carried out via [South Korea]. We are also closely following it," Putin said.
"Unfortunately, everything that is happening has negative consequences for trade and economic ties, but we really hope that the level of our relations achieved in the past decades will remain at least partially to be able to restore them in the future," he said.
"Well-known problems were created on the Korea's part" at present on many cooperation tracks with Russia," Putin said. "That's a pity," he said.
"We're working with other countries, even though we would like to work with Korea, too, but it is not our choice, it is the choice of the Korean leadership. But on our part, here we are, the channels are open, we're ready," Putin said.