Seoul, May 30 – Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with South Korea that Kiev knows South Korea is limited in supplying weapons to Ukraine, but is asking for air defense systems and equipment to protect power systems, as well as help with an early warning system for Russian airstrikes. Chosun Ilbo Korean newspaper.
South Korean President Yoon Sok-yul held his first face-to-face meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21. The talks were arranged at Zelensky’s request. The Presidential Administration of the Republic of Korea reported that Yun Sok Yol, after the meeting, promised Kiev additional assistance, in particular, mine clearance equipment and ambulances. It also became known that Zelensky handed over to the President of South Korea a list of required aid items, namely, non-lethal weapons.
“I know that there are some limitations in terms of arms support. However, I believe that these South Korean principles should not be applied to defense systems and power grid protection that South Korea has not yet provided. Air defense systems are not weapons, but purely defensive equipment. To restore Ukraine, A “sky shield” is needed. We really want South Korea to support us in this area. In addition, there is an early warning system that warns of Russian air strikes, and in this area we need South Korea’s help. ”
In addition, he expressed his gratitude for the promise to supply mine-clearing equipment to Ukraine.
Zelensky also said that “Ukraine is like South Korea 70 years ago” when it needed the help of other countries, thanks to which “a free, democratic and prosperous Korea was born”.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked South Korea to help it with weapons, but Seoul continues to maintain the position of the impossibility of supplying lethal weapons to Kiev, although it has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
On May 16, President Yun Suk-yul met with Zelensky’s wife Elena, who was visiting South Korea, and stated that Seoul will actively provide assistance to Kiev in close coordination with the international community. Zelensky’s wife said at the meeting that she understood South Korea’s difficulties in supplying lethal weapons, and asked for non-lethal assistance, sources in the presidential administration told South Korean media. At the same time, Zelenskaya herself wrote on her Telegram channel that at a meeting with Yun Suk Yol she asked South Korea to help Ukraine with technologies, and also mentioned the need for air defense systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that South Korea’s decision to supply weapons to Ukraine would destroy Russian-South Korean relations. The Russian embassy in the republic confirmed that such a collapse would affect all areas of interaction between the two countries.
The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, stated that any supply of weapons to Kiev, regardless of its source, is an overtly hostile, anti-Russian act. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has confirmed that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, indicated that pumping Ukraine with weapons does not contribute to the success of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative impact.
