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South Korea will "expand scale" of aid to Ukraine, president says

15 July 2023 18:20

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday, July 15, following trips to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland, in his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine almost 17 months ago.

After a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Yoon pledged Saturday to "expand the scale" of his country's humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, Le Monde reports.

Seoul "will expand the scale of supplies from last year, when we provided materials such as helmets and bullet-proof vests," he said at a press briefing.

Yoon, who earlier visited the town of Bucha on his unannounced visit to Ukraine, added that humanitarian aid would be increased to $150 million in 2023, from $100 million last year.

Zelensky thanked his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol for a substantial first visit to his war-torn country. "Today, during this first visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine in the history of our relations, we talked about everything that is important for people to lead a normal and safe life," Zelensky said.

Zelensky thanked Yoon "for your new initiatives to provide financial, technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine" without going into detail. The Ukrainian president also extended his condolences to his South Korean counterpart, whose country has been hit by flooding and landslides that killed at least 22. "I want to express my condolences, the condolences of all Ukrainians in connection with the terrible flood that has now hit the Republic of Korea," Zelensky said.

South Korea, a key US ally in Asia, joined international sanctions against Russia and has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine. But the Asian nation, a growing arms exporter, has not provided weapons to Ukraine in line with its long-standing policy of not supplying arms to countries actively engaged in conflict.

Earlier this month, Yoon said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press that supplies of de-mining equipment, ambulances and other non-military materials "are in the works" following a request from Ukraine.

He said South Korea already provided support to replace the Kakhovka Dam, which was destroyed last month. The Russian and Ukrainian governments have accused the other of blowing up the dam, but the evidence suggests Russia had more of a motive to cause deadly flooding, endanger crops and threaten drinking water supplies in a contested part of Ukraine.

In May, when Yoon met Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska in Seoul, the president said he would expand South Korea's non-lethal aid to Ukraine. Yoon's spokesperson, Lee Do Woon, said at the time that Zelenska made no request for South Korean weapons supplies during her conversation with Yoon.

Since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has reached billions of dollars worth of deals to provide tanks, howitzers, fighter jets and other weapons systems to NATO member Poland.

Caliber.Az

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