Eurotopics: South Korean Weapons for Kyiv?

After North Korea and Russia signed a military assistance treaty, South Korea is apparently considering supplying Ukraine with military equipment, the country's news agencies report. South Korea has so far stuck to a policy of not supplying weapons to war zones. Commentators see the news as an important development.

Arms giant always at the ready

Exiled politician Maxim Katz explains on Echo why Seoul could become a vital ally for Kyiv:

“Despite its modest size, South Korea ranks 11th in the world in defence spending. ... It occupies 6th place on the Military Strength Ranking, ahead of all the European countries. And most importantly, today South Korea has one of the best and most modern defence industries in the world, it is rapidly expanding its military exports and sells artillery shells to the US. ... South Korea has never had the opportunity to sit back and relax. It is one of the most combat-ready countries in the world and has both the latest technology and very large reserves of weapons and ammunition - unlike Western countries.”

Zelensky's efforts to secure support are paying off

Visão sees the fact that states like South Korea and Kenya are positioning themselves more strongly against Russia and in favour of Ukraine as major progress:

“In this way Zelensky gains new momentum and widens the geographical scope of support. This should be the dual objective in the aftermath of the Swiss summit: to mobilise new states for the compromises reached, reinforcing them through consistent and better coordinated public diplomacy by all these states, and to try to add one or two more points to Ukraine's ten-point plan at a future summit, which should preferably take place before the US elections and be hosted by a non-European country.”

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This vessel, built in 2010, was seized by Russia from Ukraine during the 2014 annexation of Crimea but has remained largely unused in recent years.

Moscow's fatal miscalculation

The Kremlin has made a big mistake with its new alliance, exiled politician Leonid Gozman explains in Novaya Gazeta Europe:

“It could turn out that Putin's strategists, as always, failed to take into account that they are not alone in the world. Putin promised Kim Jong-un a lot (in terms of more or less high-tech weapons), and somehow Seoul wasn't happy about it. It's one thing to call in the ambassador and express your grievances, but quite another to supply weapons to Ukraine. Especially since they have just as many weapons as Kim does. ... This embrace with Kim Jong-un doesn't just represent a normalisation of evil. .. It's another and very significant stepping stone to hell.”