South Korea to support Ukraine in response to Russia-North Korea alliance — president

 

MADRID: South Korea is ready to boost military assistance to Ukraine alongside its allies if Russia and North Korea continue their collaboration, President Yoon Suk Yeol said

"If they do not cease their dangerous military operations, we are prepared to take appropriate and effective measures, including enhancing assistance to Ukraine, in cooperation with our allies and like-minded countries," he said in an interview with the EFE news agency.

According to him, the reported dispatch of North Korean servicemen to participate in Russia’s special military operation "poses a serious security threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Europe but also to the entire world." The president also expressed concern over the fact that Moscow is allegedly transferring military technology to Pyongyang while North Korea, "which has had no combat experience for more than 70 years, is acquiring knowledge of modern warfare" during the conflict in Ukraine.

On October 24, Yoon Suk Yeol had previously said that Seoul could reconsider its refusal to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine "from a more flexible position." At the same time, South Korean media suggested "indirect supplies" to the United States or other countries were more likely than direct exports of munitions to Ukraine. Moscow pointed out that the transfer of lethal weapons to Ukraine would lead to the destruction of bilateral relations with South Korea.

Commenting on earlier "satellite images" released by Seoul that allegedly show the presence of North Korean servicemen in Russia, President Vladimir Putin called such photos a "serious matter." However, the Russian leader emphasized that NATO servicemen have long been directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Putin pointed out that the strategic partnership treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang includes a clause on joint defense.

For her part, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the strategic cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is not unusual or extraordinary, despite the West's attempts to demonize it. She emphasized that those who are committed to peaceful cooperation with Moscow have nothing to fear.

-News Feed