The victory of Donald Trump in the US elections prompts South Korea to reconsider the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine. Currently, there is no official decision on this issue.
Points of attention
- Trump's victory prompts South Korea to reconsider the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine.
- Seoul will consider a decision on weapons for Ukraine after taking into account the position of the new US administration.
- A possible increase in support for Ukraine involves both military cooperation and the supply of weapons from South Korea.
- Ukraine plans to send an envoy to Seoul to convince them to change their position and provide weapons.
- North Korea's actions in Russia may influence South Korea's decisions and contribute to additional support for Ukraine.
Seoul will review the decision on weapons for Ukraine after Trump's victory
According to an anonymous official, President Yoon Seok-yeol's government is forced to take Trump's position into account when deciding whether to change its policy on providing lethal aid to Kyiv.
Another government official noted that Seoul is also assessing how Trump's approach to war could affect support for Ukraine from other countries.
Yoon's office said the government would consider possible scenarios of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea following the deployment of North Korean troops and take countermeasures accordingly.
Exporting lethal aid to Ukraine would be a powerful signal of support, and could also help South Korean business through possible participation in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi plans to send an envoy to Seoul to ask for weapons and persuade South Korea to change its position in favor of supporting Ukraine. South Korea has a large stockpile of 155 mm artillery shells used by the Ukrainian army.
Seoul has said it will consider direct arms deliveries if North Korea acquires technology that could increase its ability to produce weapons of mass destruction.
South Korea plans to respond to North Korea's entry into the war against Ukraine
As mentioned earlier, recently the official Seoul made it clear that it is already considering the possibility of increasing support for Ukraine.
It is important to understand that this happened after the statements of Ukrainian intelligence about the deployment of North Korean troops near the Russian border with Ukraine.
According to South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, his country is actively discussing "all possible scenarios", including the possibility of sending weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea's actions in Russia.
In addition, it is emphasized that the official Seoul will closely monitor the military activity of the DPRK in the Russian Federation and the benefits that Pyongyang receives from Moscow in order to determine further actions.
