Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for military assistance from Seoul today, as he said only then could Russia be forced to make peace.
Speaking in a videotaped speech to South Korean lawmakers, the Ukrainian president said his country needed more help, including weapons, if it wanted to survive the war.
“You have something that may be necessary for us … armored vehicles, anti-aircraft, anti-tank, anti-ship weapons,” he said.
Zelensky said South Korea has many weapons that could not only help save the lives of ordinary Ukrainian civilians, but also prevent a Russian attack on other states.
“It simply came to our notice then Russia will stop on its own“, Said Zelensky. “Russia can only be forced to do this, it can only be forced to seek peace,” he added.
As she stressed, tens of thousands of people were killed in her attack Russia only in Mariupol.
Seoul rejects the request
However, the South Korean Ministry of Defense announced today that it rejected the request of the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov for the supply of anti-aircraft weapons.
In a telephone conversation on Friday, South Korean Defense Minister Sukhuk told his Ukrainian counterpart that any lethal weapons support would be curtailed given the security situation in South Korea and its potential impact on military readiness, the spokesman said. .
Zelensky did not comment on the allegations, but said that “the usual rules for the supply of weapons should be reviewed and action taken immediately.”
A South Korean defense expert overseeing military reform of the liberal opposition Justice Party said on Saturday that the US embassy in Seoul had also asked the South Koreans to send surface-to-air weapons, including a 40-caliber missile system. , citing unnamed sources.
South Korea has provided $ 10 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and pledged last week to send another $ 30 million, while shipping about 20 types of non-lethal items, including bulletproof helmets and medical kits, totaling $ 1 billion ($ 811,000).
The US embassy did not immediately comment on Kim’s remarks.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
