Seoul, South Korea
CNN
—
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday asked South Korea to reconsider its rule on not exporting weapons to countries in conflict so it could help arm Ukraine in repelling Russia’s invasion.
“I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up the specific issue of military support,” he said in a question and answer session after a speech to the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul.
“Several NATO allies who had as a policy never to export weapons to countries in conflict have changed that policy now,” Stoltenberg said, citing Germany, Norway and NATO applicant Sweden as those which have changed their arms export policies to help Ukraine.
“After the brutal invasion of Ukraine, these countries changed their policy because they realized that when you are facing a brutal invasion where a big power – Russia – invades…
2023-01-30 01:40:02 NATO secretary general urges South Korea to allow direct arms exports to Ukraine
Article from www.cnn.com NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has urged South Korea to allow direct arms exports to Ukraine so that the country can better defend itself against Russian aggression.
Mr. Stoltenberg made the plea in a statement released Tuesday during a visit to Seoul. He said that providing Ukraine with defensive weaponry is a necessary part of the collective defense of NATO members and other European partners.
He also called on the South Korean government to join the United States in maintaining pressure on Russia to adhere to the Minsk Agreement, which is an agreement to establish a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine had asked the South Korean government to allow the country to purchase arms directly from the manufacturer, rather than through intermediaries, as part of its efforts against Russian-backed separatists.
Mr. Stoltenberg’s statement comes at a time when the situation in Ukraine is on the brink of a full-blown war. Russian forces have stepped up their military activity in the country’s east and have been providing weapons and resources to the separatists.
These developments have raised the stakes for NATO, which has already imposed sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
Mr. Stoltenberg’s plea to South Korea points to the need for a unified response from the international community to the aggression in Ukraine. He has said that the presence of NATO troops in the country remains essential in order to help maintain the fragile ceasefire.
The NATO secretary general has also called for increased investment in the country in the areas of security and defense. He believes this is necessary to ensure Ukraine can protect itself in the long-term.
South Korea has yet to respond to the plea from NATO, but it is hoped that the pressure from the international community will encourage the country to allow direct arms exports to Ukraine. This would be a crucial step in helping to end the conflict in Ukraine and could signal a new era of cooperation between the two countries.