The statement issued Wednesday during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Brussels described what it called “illegal military cooperation” between North Korea and Russia and urged third parties to stop supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

North Korea’s foreign ministry rejected the criticism, saying its cooperation with Russia constituted an “exercise of sovereign rights” and accusing Seoul and Brussels of issuing a “grave hostile act,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The EU–South Korea statement said: “We condemn support by third parties, in particular the DPRK, which enable Russia to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Pyongyang separately reiterated its long-standing position that South Korea is its primary “enemy state” and accused Seoul of acting in line with Washington’s security strategy in the region.

The North Korean response also referenced recent remarks by a senior US military official in South Korea, which Pyongyang and Beijing previously criticized as reflecting US containment policy in Asia.

North Korea has deepened its alignment with Russia during the Ukraine conflict, including reports of weapons transfers and troop deployments, according to Western and South Korean intelligence assessments.

Kim Jong Un has expanded cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years, while also strengthening diplomatic engagement with China amid shifting regional alliances.

The ministry said it summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks to lodge “a strong protest” over what it called continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners.The attacks had resulted in the “tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives,” the ministry said in a statement.

Meeks was first summoned on Wednesday after a US strike hit the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, killing three Indian crew members.The incident followed a June 8 strike on another Palau-flagged tanker, MT Marivex, from which Omani authorities rescued 24 Indian sailors.

On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was also hit in a US strike, according to Indian officials. New Delhi said the vessel’s crew, including 20 Indian sailors, were rescued.A US State Department official said Washington was in direct contact with the Indian government regarding the matter.

India is among the world’s largest sources of merchant seafarers, with more than 320,000 active sailors in 2025, according to the country’s shipping ministry.The shipping ministry has advised Indian sailors operating on Indian and foreign-flagged vessels travelling through conflict-affected waters to exercise the highest degree of caution.

“The continuing attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that such attacks must stop.India’s navy said on Thursday it had conducted a high-risk operation to remove an unexploded missile warhead from the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Olympic Life after it was struck off Oman on May 26.The vessel later reached India’s southern port of Kochi safely.

The navy said the projectile had entered the hull, passed through several structural compartments and became lodged inside a fuel tank.Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have faced disruption since Iran restricted maritime traffic after attacks by the United States and Israel began on February 28. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The meeting followed a summit in London earlier this week attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, France and Germany. During the gathering, the three European countries expressed support for Kyiv’s proposal for direct talks with Moscow aimed at ending more than four years of conflict.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere described the discussions at Russia’s Foreign Ministry as constructive and told reporters that a joint statement would be released later in the day.

Russia, however, characterized the talks differently, saying the ambassadors were informed of what Moscow described as the “destructive” Ukraine policies of their governments. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Britain, France and Germany of seeking to prolong the conflict at Europe’s expense.

The diplomatic contact comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal by Zelensky this month for a face-to-face meeting intended to advance peace negotiations.

At the London summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed Zelensky’s initiative and said the current battlefield positions should serve as a starting point for future negotiations.

Western European diplomats have had limited direct engagement with Russian authorities since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine. Contacts have largely been confined to formal summonses and diplomatic exchanges through established channels.

The meeting also reflects growing discussion within parts of Europe about whether renewed dialogue with Moscow could help create conditions for ending the conflict, which remains Europe’s largest war since World War Two.

Efforts led by the United States to broker a settlement have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. Diplomatic attention has also been increasingly diverted by the conflict involving Iran, complicating international attempts to advance negotiations on Ukraine.

Russia has generally preferred discussing the war with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and has repeatedly signaled opposition to a larger European role in any future settlement process.

Britain, France and Germany remain among Ukraine’s principal military, financial and diplomatic supporters and have consistently backed Kyiv throughout the conflict.

The ministry said 25 Azerbaijani nationals were among the crews of the vessels struck in Taganrog Bay, adding that neither ship belonged to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Ukraine said its drones had hit five vessels in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk and in nearby coastal waters under Russian control.

Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, said the targeted ships included dry cargo vessels and a tanker allegedly involved in transporting military cargo, fuel and Ukrainian grain.

The attacks mark one of the deadliest incidents involving foreign civilian crew members in the conflict’s maritime zone this year.

The dispute erupted after Teodoro told Reuters in an interview on Saturday that China remained a “severe threat” and had shown no evidence of long-term good faith, even after Beijing supplied fertilizer and fuel to the Philippines during shortages linked to regional conflict-related disruptions.

Responding to the remarks, China’s Foreign Ministry accused the Philippine defense chief of politicizing issues affecting ordinary citizens and disregarding the benefits of Chinese assistance.

Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Teodoro’s comments demonstrated that he was “solely driven by personal interests” and had failed to consider the welfare of the Philippine people.

Mao questioned how China could be expected to continue providing aid and essential supplies to the Philippines if such views prevailed among senior officials in Manila.

The exchange underscores the fragile state of relations between Beijing and Manila, which have been strained by longstanding maritime disputes, security concerns and competing strategic interests in the region.

Teodoro’s remarks reflected continued skepticism within the Philippine security establishment regarding China’s intentions, despite recent efforts by Beijing to project a more cooperative image through economic and humanitarian assistance.

China’s response signals growing frustration over what it views as Manila’s unwillingness to separate practical cooperation from broader geopolitical and security disagreements.

Neither side indicated any immediate plans for high-level talks following the latest diplomatic exchange.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said five Indonesian citizens were detained after Israeli forces boarded flotilla vessels approximately 250 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast, while four other Indonesians remained aboard two of the 10 boats still heading toward the territory. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said 16 Malaysians had also been detained during the operation.

The flotilla coalition, comprising more than 50 boats and nearly 500 participants from 45 countries, departed from Turkiye last week on what organizers described as the final leg of a mission to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and protest Israel’s restrictions on aid access.

“The situation on the ground remains highly dynamic,” Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said in a video statement, adding that Indonesian nationals still at sea remained vulnerable to interception by Israeli forces.

Indonesia urged Israel to release all detained activists and vessels and allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians “in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the ministry said.

Video footage circulating online showed Israeli naval personnel approaching several vessels in speedboats before boarding them in daylight on Monday. Organizers from the Global Sumud Flotilla said at least 41 boats had been intercepted and 337 participants detained.

Anwar said Malaysia was coordinating with other governments to secure the activists’ release. In a statement posted on social media, he said the interception violated international law and obstructed humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza’s civilian population.

Israeli authorities have not publicly detailed the status of those detained. Activists from several Asian countries, including South Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, were also reported to be among those taken into custody.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono joined counterparts from Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, the Maldives, Pakistan and Spain in issuing a joint statement condemning attacks on civilian vessels and what they described as arbitrary detentions of humanitarian activists.

The ministers said such actions constituted violations of international law and called for the immediate release of all detainees while urging respect for the activists’ rights and safety.

The latest interception follows similar incidents in recent months involving aid flotillas attempting to reach Gaza. Last month, Israeli forces intercepted more than 20 boats near the Greek island of Crete and detained roughly 175 activists, according to organizers.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have continued to deteriorate amid ongoing Israeli military operations following the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

The United Nations has said approximately 1.8 million people in Gaza have been displaced and remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance amid mounting shortages of food, medicine and shelter.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said evidence gathered through a detailed investigation and technical intelligence indicated that the attack was “masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan,” following a coordinated assault on Saturday involving a car bombing and a subsequent ambush targeting responding security forces.

The attack occurred in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, an area that has witnessed repeated militant violence in recent years. Images released after the incident showed the police post reduced to rubble.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said a senior Afghan diplomat had been summoned and formally presented with a strong demarche over the attack. Islamabad warned that it would not compromise on national security if militant groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.

“The Afghan Taliban regime has also been categorically informed that, if it continues to harbor these terrorist organizations, Pakistan will not compromise on its national security or on the safety and protection of its citizens,” the ministry said.

Deputy Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat told Reuters the Afghan government had no immediate comment on Pakistan’s allegations.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led administration in Kabul of allowing militants to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban denies. Afghan authorities maintain that Pakistan’s militancy problem is an internal matter.

The latest accusations threaten to further strain relations between the two neighbors after months of heightened border tensions. In February, some of the heaviest fighting in years erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Security analysts say continued militant violence along the frontier risks destabilizing already fragile relations between the two countries and complicating efforts to coordinate border security and counterterrorism operations.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said the Panama-flagged bulk carrier HMM Namu sustained significant damage after being hit twice on Monday while transiting the strategic waterway, which has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel, the United States and Iran in late February.

Foreign ministry spokesman Park Il told reporters that “two unidentified aircraft struck the outer plate of the port-side ballast tank at the stern” of the vessel at roughly one-minute intervals, igniting flames and heavy smoke.

Park said investigators had not yet determined the type, origin or size of the aircraft involved, despite CCTV footage capturing the incident. South Korean authorities are conducting further analysis of engine debris and fragments recovered from the vessel.

According to the ministry, the first strike is believed to have ignited a fire in the engine room, while the second impact accelerated the spread of the blaze. Damage to the hull extended approximately five meters across and seven meters inward on the vessel’s port-side stern.

The ship, carrying 24 crew members, later arrived at port in Dubai with visible fire damage.U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that Iran had “taken some shots” at the vessel and urged South Korea to participate in U.S.-led operations intended to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has denied involvement.

Tehran’s embassy in Seoul issued a statement rejecting what it called allegations linking Iranian forces to the attack and said it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” responsibility.South Korea summoned Iran’s ambassador to seek clarification regarding Tehran’s position and discuss the findings of the preliminary investigation, Park said.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil consumption typically passes, has become a focal point of military escalation since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran earlier this year.

Tehran has since responded with attacks across the region and measures that have sharply reduced maritime traffic through the corridor, fueling volatility in global energy markets.

Commercial shipping companies and insurers have increasingly rerouted vessels or suspended operations in the Gulf amid rising security risks and mounting concerns over attacks on tankers and cargo ships.

The UAE blamed Iran for the attack, which occurred on Monday at an energy installation along the Gulf coast. Iranian state television said the Islamic republic had “no pre-planned program” to target oil facilities in the UAE.

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “calls for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians,” adding that the country supports efforts toward a peaceful resolution.

He also urged “free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law.”The incident comes amid broader disruptions to energy supply chains since the onset of conflict in the Middle East in late February. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, typically sources about half of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments.

Analysts have warned that India’s reliance on imported energy, combined with relatively modest strategic reserves compared with major consumers such as China, leaves it exposed to price volatility and supply shocks linked to regional instability.Shipping and import data indicate that New Delhi has moved to offset disruptions by diversifying supply, including increased reliance on Russian crude.

This shift follows earlier efforts to reduce dependence on such imports amid pressure from U.S. trade measures.India has reiterated its readiness to support diplomatic initiatives aimed at stabilizing the region, as tensions continue to threaten key maritime routes and energy infrastructure.

The statement came after reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was discussing the possible relocation of around 1,100 Afghans, including former U.S. war helpers and relatives of American service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of efforts to resolve their prolonged displacement.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Afghanistan remained the “shared homeland of all Afghans” and invited those concerned to return with “full confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns that they faced security threats under Taliban rule.

He said those wishing to migrate to other countries could do so later through “legal and dignified channels” and added that Kabul was ready to engage with all countries on the matter.

The remarks followed disclosures by advocacy group #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts, that U.S. officials had informed the group of talks between Washington and Congo regarding refugees housed at Camp As-Sayliyah, a U.S. base in Doha, where many have remained in limbo for more than a year.

The U.S. State Department said it was working to identify options for “voluntary” resettlement in a third country, but did not confirm which countries were under discussion.

For many of the Afghans at the camp, returning to Afghanistan is not considered safe. Many had worked directly with U.S. military forces, diplomatic missions, or affiliated programs during the war and fear retaliation from the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

In a joint statement shared by #AfghanEvac, refugees at the camp said they had not been formally informed by U.S. officials about the possible transfer to Congo and learned of the discussions through media reports.

They said the prolonged uncertainty had severely affected their mental health.“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group said, describing worsening psychological distress among families who have spent months waiting for relocation.

The refugees also firmly rejected the idea of being moved to Congo, citing ongoing violence there.“We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the statement said. “It is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war.

We cannot take our children into another one.”The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced decades of instability, particularly in its eastern region, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebel groups has intensified.

Camp residents also said returning to Afghanistan was not an option.“The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the statement said. “This is not a fear. This is a fact.”The relocation discussions come more than a year after President Trump suspended his predecessor’s Afghan refugee resettlement program as part of broader immigration restrictions, leaving thousands of vetted Afghan applicants stranded in transit hubs across the world, including Qatar.

Many had already completed years of security screening and documentation for U.S. resettlement before the process was halted.

The uncertainty over their future continues to underscore the unresolved humanitarian fallout of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fate of those who supported its mission there.