A delegation led by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov will visit Seoul on November 27. Kyiv presents a list of requests to partners, including anti-aircraft missiles and artillery systems.
The Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post writes about this with reference to sources.
Analysts expect that after the victory of Donald Trump in the US elections, the South Korean government will take a "cautious position". Before making a decision, Seoul will monitor Russiaʼs military cooperation with North Korea.
In addition, the opposition parties that control the National Assembly of South Korea oppose the provision of military aid to Ukraine. They equate supplying arms with engaging in war, which complicates the governmentʼs ability to act.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky declared in an interview with the South Korean TV channel KBS that Kyiv would appeal to a partner country for military assistance. The president did not disclose details and clarified that he did not know how Seoul would respond to such a request.
In October, Seoul was set to take "staged measures" against North Korea and Russia as they deepened their military cooperation. It was about the transfer of lethal weapons. However, as the publication writes, the elections in the United States could affect the position of South Korean President Yoon Seokyeol. Perhaps Trumpʼs victory prompted him to rethink his bellicose stance, observers say.
- Currently, South Korea does not officially provide military aid to Kyiv. It maintains a policy of not supplying lethal weapons to countries at war. Instead, the state supports Ukraine humanitarianally and financially.
- Zelensky also said that Ukraine is waiting for a group of specialists from South Korea, with whom they will exchange data. The president says that this cooperation is beneficial for everyone — Seoul will gain experience in waging modern warfare, and Kyiv needs Korean air defense experience and cooperation in the defense-industrial complex.
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