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Park Chan-kyong

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is set to visit South Korea to request weapons aid, according to an informed source.
Analysts expect Seoul to take a cautious stance on the plea following Donald Trump’s election victory and Moscow’s repeated warnings against such actions.
The group was expected to meet South Korean counterparts “as early as Wednesday” and present a wish list that included anti-air missiles and artillery pieces, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A spokesman for South Korea’s defence ministry declined to comment.
Doo Jin-ho, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses, noted that while South Korea was a global leader in conventional weapons production, it was likely to tread carefully on the matter.
“South Korea will listen to Ukraine’s request but is unlikely to make a clear commitment to providing weapons,” Doo said.
“The government is expected to adopt a wait-and-see approach, monitoring Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea before deciding its next steps.”
Doo added that factors such as Moscow’s threats, opposition from South Korea’s National Assembly and the political impact of Trump’s second presidency were behind Seoul’s hesitancy.


Currently, South Korea has restricted its support for Ukraine to non-lethal aid like gas masks and field rations, adhering to a policy against supplying lethal weapons to countries at war.
However, President Yoon Suk-yeol recently signalled a potential shift. Last month, he stated that Seoul could consider providing weapons, starting with defensive items and escalating to lethal ones depending on the extent of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
The North has sent about 10,000 soldiers to Russia, some of whom have recently begun engaging in combat on the front lines.
The recent US election, however, may have influenced South Korea’s stance. Observers suggest that Trump’s victory has prompted Yoon to reassess his previously more hawkish position.
They also note that there was strong resistance from opposition parties, which control the National Assembly and equate providing weapons to participating in the war, complicating the government’s ability to act.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told South Korean broadcaster KBS last month that his government would make a detailed request for weapons.
“It’s one thing to help Ukraine financially or humanitarian, medically, and another to help with weapons,” he said, noting North Korea has been involved in fighting against Ukrainian citizens by sending its troops.
“Our request [for South Korea] will be detailed,” Zelensky said, mentioning the need for artillery, air defence systems and other critical equipment.
South Korea’s advanced anti-air and anti-tank missiles, along with its large-scale production of artillery shells, make it a potential key supplier for Ukraine.
Yet domestic opposition remains a significant hurdle.
Opposition lawmakers have threatened to impeach South Korea’s defence minister if the government sends military aid to Ukraine, citing laws that prohibit arms exports to nations at war without parliamentary approval.
“There seems to be a shift in the government’s tone following the US election,” Doo said, hinting at a cautious recalibration of Seoul’s position.

Trump’s choice for US National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, has also urged an end to the Ukraine-Russia war.
“North Korea has made this move. We have made a move. Russia has now responded. Iran is involved. South Korea is thinking about getting involved. Our allies have now extended the range of their missiles as well,” Waltz said on Sunday.
“We need to bring this to a responsible end. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder rather than responding to it,” he said, echoing Trump’s pledge to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.
Moscow has sternly warned South Korea against providing weapons to Ukraine, saying the move would “fully destroy” bilateral relations.
“We hope Seoul will prioritise long-term national interests over short-term opportunistic considerations prompted from outside,” Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said on Sunday.
Lee Sung-won, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, downplayed the likelihood of Seoul meeting Kyiv’s request.
“South Korea should consider aligning its policy with the incoming Trump administration,” he said.
Similarly, Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Moscow appears intent on maintaining ties with Seoul while cautioning it against “crossing the line” by supplying lethal aid to Ukraine.
“Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea is calculated,” Cho noted, adding it supplies Pyongyang with food and oil in exchange for troop support.
“Wheat prices in the North have stabilised, apparently due to the Russian food aid,” he said.
Jeh Sung-hoon, a Russian studies professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said Moscow is likely to keep making the most of its deepening ties with the North as a strategic move to counterbalance Washington and Seoul.
“Unless Russia’s relationship with the US improves, it is likely to continue to leverage North Korea’s military capabilities, even after the war in Ukraine concludes,” Jeh said.


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A Ukrainian soldier drives a tank during military drills at a training ground in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, on November 22. Photo: Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) visits a defence exhibition in Pyongyang on November 21. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reviews the troops at a military base in Asaka, Japan, on November 9. Photo: EPA-EFE

Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (right) with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on November 16. Photo: AFP

Russian’s Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pose for a photo in Pyongyang after signing a landmark defence pact in June. Photo: Sputnik, Kremlin via AP

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol answers questions during a press conference at the Presidential Office in Seoul on Thursday. Photo: AFP

A Ukrainian artillery cannon is fired towards Russian positions in the Kherson region on October. 27. Photo: AP

South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun said on Monday that Seoul was more focused on deploying “observers” than arms to Ukraine. Photo Getty Images/AFP 

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) is greeted by his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jnr during a meeting inside the presidential palace in Manila on June 3. Photo: EPA-EFE

A post on X by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr showing his support for Ukraine. Photo: X/@bongbongmarcos

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr with his US counterpart Joe Biden in September 2022 in New York. Photo: AP

Malaysia’s Ukraine apathy, closeness to Russia may harm its global standing: analysts

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Vladivostok. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ukrainian diplomat Denys Mykhailiuk. Photo: Hadi Azmi

An aerial view of Chasiv Yar, the front line city in ruins, following fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region on November 11. Photo: AP

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East Asia

A Ukrainian team is bringing a weapons wish list to Seoul but analysts say the Yoon administration is unlikely to swiftly approve the request


A Ukrainian team is bringing a weapons wish list to Seoul but analysts say the Yoon administration is unlikely to swiftly approve the request.
