Russia says it would welcome practical steps by South Korea to restore relations

Russia would welcome practical steps by South Korea to restore bilateral relations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Tuesday.

Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, Rudenko said Russia did not link its relations with other countries to the conflict in Ukraine.

"We have noted certain statements by South Korean authorities expressing a desire to normalize relations, but at the same time they say that normalization can take place only after, as they put it, a change in the geopolitical situation, which means the end of the conflict in Ukraine," he said.

Rudenko said Moscow had not initiated the deterioration in relations with Seoul, blaming South Korea's decision to join sanctions against Russia.

"We were not the ones who initiated the breakdown in relations with South Korea. Seoul was the one that joined the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation," he said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung earlier said Seoul considered relations with Moscow important and would continue maintaining communication.

Rudenko also said Russian and South Korean aviation authorities and companies were discussing the possibility of resuming direct flights between the two countries.

However, he said it was too early to speak of any concrete results.

Asked about a possible meeting involving Russia, China and the US to discuss Ukraine, Rudenko said all three countries had expressed interest, but no practical discussions have taken place.

Commenting on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming visit to India, Rudenko said Moscow would not comment on the trip, noting that India was an independent country pursuing a sovereign foreign policy.