Trump's win pushes Seoul to review stance on arms supplies to Ukraine - media
The victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential elections prompts South Korea to reconsider the possibility of direct delivery of lethal weapons to Ukraine.
This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources, Ukrinform saw.
According to the interlocutor, President Yoon Suk Yeol's government now needs to consider the position of the U.S. president-elect as the government explores whether it should change its own long-standing policy of not sending lethal weapons to Kyiv.
Another government source added that South Korea is also studying how Trump's position on the Russo-Ukrainian war could affect further support for Ukraine from other countries.
It is noted that such comments may indicate that at the moment, Seoul is less inclined to make a decision on the transfer of weapons to Ukraine unless the DPRK takes further active steps or there is greater clarity on how Donald Trump will act toward Ukraine once he takes over the White House.
For South Korea, which is not even a member of NATO, it would be quite inconvenient to interfere in the process if Trump intends to withdraw from the conflict once he takes office, said Kim Jun, a political science professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
It is noted that South Korea has a huge stockpile of 155 mm artillery rounds, the NATO-standard Ukraine has been using.
Exporting lethal weapons to Kyiv would mean strong support for Ukraine on the part of Seoul. South Korean businesses can also benefit if they take part in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. However, this step would anger Moscow, threaten the escalation of conflict, and prompt further provocations from Pyongyang.
The Biden administration would most likely welcome the decision by South Korea to transfer lethal aid to Ukraine, but it is not yet entirely clear how Donald Trump and his team will react.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, at the beginning of November, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he did not rule out providing weapons directly to Ukraine.