South Korea denies Ukrainian report that it eased Russia's fuel crisis

South ​Korea's presidential office on Wednesday dismissed a ​Ukrainian report that Russia has imported ‌petroleum ​products from South Korean ports, calling the accusation inappropriate.

Ukraine's top sanctions official, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said on Tuesday the shipments had eased ‌the impact of a fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. His comment followed a report by the Guardian newspaper saying that port records and ship-tracking data showed that ‌fuel had been loaded at South Korean ports onto seven tankers, including vessels under British and ‌EU sanctions.

The presidential office said South Korea had "consistently enforced sanctions and export controls against Russia in close coordination with the international community," since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. It added that Seoul was examining the facts and checking for any ⁠export control ​issues, and would take ⁠necessary measures if any problems were confirmed.

The accusation risks deepening a rift between the two countries that have broadly ⁠aligned against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine and raises questions about how effectively sanctions on Russian energy ​imports are being enforced. Relations between Ukraine and South Korea have been strained over a ⁠diplomatic dispute that erupted last month when President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war ⁠to ​South Korea. Seoul said the transfer was meant to stay secret.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said last week that Kyiv was undertaking diplomatic efforts to put the "misunderstanding" behind the ⁠two countries. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters on Wednesday that the dispute was rooted ⁠in a "difference in ⁠interpreting the agreements on confidentiality".

"Active work is under way through closed diplomatic channels to resolve and turn the page on this," he said.