Russia Says Fake News on Contact with South Korea Aims to sow Distrust with North Korea

Moscow - Moscow officials say false news about contacts with South Korea (South Korea) aims to sow distrust between Russia and North Korea (North Korea).

"Opponents of cooperation between Russia and North Korea continue to make reckless attempts to sow distrust in their relations, but the fake news about contacts between Russia and South Korea has no basis," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

Commenting on information that appeared in several South Korean media about the alleged contacts between the Russian and South Korean Ministries of Foreign Affairs on the topic of "North Korea's nuclear program", Zakharova said the information was unreliable.

"The opponents of our cooperation with North Korea do not stop their futile attempts to create a rift in the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Korea and sow distrust between allied countries and the Russian and North Korean peoples," he said, launching TASS (22/12).

"This false information is not based on facts. There is a reckless attempt to disguise the working visit of the South Korean Foreign Ministry delegation to Moscow at the invitation of Russian scientists, in particular the Energy and Security Center, as a kind of official negotiation between the foreign ministries of the two countries. The purpose of this false news is clear - to undermine the comprehensive strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and North Korea," said Zakharova.

Furthermore, Zakharova said Russia "did not hold any consultations with the South Korean side, did not discuss any topics affecting bilateral relations between Pyongyang and Seoul, let alone the 'North Korean nuclear issue' because there is no 'North Korean nuclear issue' for Russia. Neither in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor in our country as a whole, there are no representatives who discuss this issue."

Zakharova noted that Moscow's position on cooperation with Pyongyang "is consistent and principled, is not subject to political trends and is based on the long-term strategic national interests of our country in accordance with the spirit and content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement of June 19, 2024," the statement from the heads of state and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"This lies in the fact that, first, the so-called 'denuclearization' has lost all its meaning in the new geopolitical conditions. Second, the Russian side rejects any form of mediation in relations between Pyongyang and Seoul."

"Third, discussions on possible ways to build long-term peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula must be carried out by fully considering the national interests of North Korea and its position," he explained.

"Russia will continue to work resolutely for the development of progressive relations with North Korea in accordance with fundamental bilateral agreements," he continued.

According to Zakharova, any outside attempt to weaken the fraternal alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, "strengthened by blood in the fight against a common enemy, will inevitably fail.

"The Russian people will never forget the assistance provided by North Korea in liberating our homeland from Nazi Ukraine," he concluded.