SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated Thursday Seoul would hold robust ties with Ukraine and a “clean” relationship with Russia, whereas ruling out direct weapon shipments to Kyiv.
As a serious arms exporter, Seoul has lengthy been requested by US and European allies to do extra to assist Kyiv.
However Yoon advised reporters that it was his “agency stance” to not present deadly weapons to nations in battle.
Yoon stated his nation was doing its “finest to supply humanitarian and reconstruction help, in accordance with the spirit of the structure.”
Yoon stated his nation’s ties with Moscow had been strained by what Seoul and ally Washington say are arms shipments from North Korea to Russia, to be used in Ukraine.
“North Korea’s export of offensive weapons not solely helps the unlawful waging of conflict in relation to Ukraine, but additionally clearly violates UN Safety Council sanctions resolutions associated to North Korea’s nuclear weapons,” Yoon stated.
However regardless of tensions with Moscow over purported arms offers with North Korea, Yoon stated he would work with Russia.
“Russia is a rustic with which we have now had a superb relationship for a very long time,” he stated.
“Because of the current conflict with Ukraine, we have now totally different positions concerning the introduction of weapons to North Korea,” he added.
“As for our relationship with Russia, we’ll cooperate on a case-by-case foundation, and we might oppose or be cautious relying on variations in place, however we’ll handle our relationship with Russia as easily as doable.”
He declined to reply a query as to what he would think about a “pink line” for Seoul to overview its non-lethal weapons coverage on Ukraine.
Seoul has lengthy harboured ambitions to hitch the ranks of the world’s high arms exporters — aiming to be the fourth largest, behind america, Russia and France — one thing that’s now doable, business analysis signifies.
It has additionally offered artillery shells to Washington — however with a “closing person” settlement in place which means solely america can use the munitions.
Specialists have stated this permits america to then present their very own shells to Kyiv.
Hostilities within the 1950 to 1953 Korean Warfare ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, and Seoul stays technically at conflict with nuclear-armed Pyongyang.
As a serious arms exporter, Seoul has lengthy been requested by US and European allies to do extra to assist Kyiv.
However Yoon advised reporters that it was his “agency stance” to not present deadly weapons to nations in battle.
Yoon stated his nation was doing its “finest to supply humanitarian and reconstruction help, in accordance with the spirit of the structure.”
Yoon stated his nation’s ties with Moscow had been strained by what Seoul and ally Washington say are arms shipments from North Korea to Russia, to be used in Ukraine.
“North Korea’s export of offensive weapons not solely helps the unlawful waging of conflict in relation to Ukraine, but additionally clearly violates UN Safety Council sanctions resolutions associated to North Korea’s nuclear weapons,” Yoon stated.
However regardless of tensions with Moscow over purported arms offers with North Korea, Yoon stated he would work with Russia.
“Russia is a rustic with which we have now had a superb relationship for a very long time,” he stated.
“Because of the current conflict with Ukraine, we have now totally different positions concerning the introduction of weapons to North Korea,” he added.
“As for our relationship with Russia, we’ll cooperate on a case-by-case foundation, and we might oppose or be cautious relying on variations in place, however we’ll handle our relationship with Russia as easily as doable.”
He declined to reply a query as to what he would think about a “pink line” for Seoul to overview its non-lethal weapons coverage on Ukraine.
Seoul has lengthy harboured ambitions to hitch the ranks of the world’s high arms exporters — aiming to be the fourth largest, behind america, Russia and France — one thing that’s now doable, business analysis signifies.
It has additionally offered artillery shells to Washington — however with a “closing person” settlement in place which means solely america can use the munitions.
Specialists have stated this permits america to then present their very own shells to Kyiv.
Hostilities within the 1950 to 1953 Korean Warfare ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, and Seoul stays technically at conflict with nuclear-armed Pyongyang.
