Seoul did not provide Ukraine with any lethal weapons, South Korea President Yun Suk Yel, commenting on the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin that such a step would destroy bilateral relations.
On Thursday, at a meeting of the Valdai club, Vladimir Putin said that South Korea allegedly decided to supply weapons to Ukraine and hinted that Seoul would not like if Moscow resumed military cooperation with the DPRK.
“We are in solidarity with the international community in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and did not provide any lethal weapons, but this is in any case the issue of our sovereignty,” Yun told reporters.
BBC explains that South Korea, an ally of the United States, assures that Ukraine will not provide fatal weapons in an effort to avoid enmity with Russia both for economic reasons and because of the influence that Moscow can exert on North Korea.
“We make efforts to maintain peaceful, good relations with all countries of the world, including Russia,” added the South Korean president.