Russia warns Seoul over possible Ukraine support move

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that any participation by the Republic of Korea in supplying Ukraine — whether directly or indirectly — would further undermine prospects for resolving the conflict.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press service, Zakharova said such a step would seriously damage bilateral ties. “This will undoubtedly cause irreparable damage to relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea and will destroy prospects for restoring constructive dialogue on issues related to the Korean Peninsula. In this case, we will be forced to exercise our right to retaliatory measures, including asymmetric ones,” she stated.

Her remarks followed reports on February 21 that South Korea is considering joining a NATO-backed mechanism aimed at supporting Ukraine — the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a framework designed to procure military assistance for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier, on February 20, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Seoul is reviewing various options to assist Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia. “The government has continued to consult with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) over various measures to support Ukraine,” a ministry official said.

Diplomatic sources indicated that one option under consideration is participation in the NATO-led PURL initiative, launched in July last year to facilitate purchases of US weapons for Ukraine. Even if Seoul joins the mechanism, its contribution is expected to remain limited, potentially focusing only on non-lethal equipment.

Several non-NATO countries have already taken part in the initiative. Australia and New Zealand are participating, while Japan is expected to announce its intention to join, according to reports. Equipment financed with Japanese support is also expected to be restricted to non-lethal items such as vehicles and radar systems.

Since the start of the war in 2022, South Korea has limited its assistance to Ukraine to non-lethal and humanitarian support.

By Tamilla Hasanova