South Korea reacted with restraint to Ukraine's request for arms sales to Ukraine

The South Korean government has reacted to the proposal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's special delegation headed by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to sell weapons without enthusiasm. This was reported by the SBS TV channel on Thursday, November 28.

As noted, during the preparation of the visit's agenda, it became known that Ukraine stated its desire to buy weapons rather than receive them for free from the South Korean government. It could be about Cheonggung anti-aircraft missile systems, radars for air defense and counter-battery warfare.

However, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense has instructed its defense companies to refrain from independent communication with the Ukrainian side.

According to the TV channel, such a reaction may be related to the position of US President-elect Donald Trump, who favored a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine and the lack of arms for export.

The fact that the Ukrainian defense minister will meet with the South Korean leader became known earlier in the day. Yun said that South Korea may consider providing military support to Ukraine depending on the degree of cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Georgy Zinoviev said on Oct. 24 that South Korean deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine would not change the course of the special military operation, but would ruin the prospect of restoring relations between Moscow and Seoul.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022, is ongoing. The decision to conduct it was taken against the backdrop of an aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.