NATO chief urges S. Korea to 'step up' military support for Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jan 2023 08:50
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The North Atlantic Alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is meeting with top South Korean officials in Seoul.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at Seoul National Cemetery on Jan.29, 2023 (Social media)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea on Monday to "step up" military support for Ukraine, advising it to reconsider its policy of not sending weapons to countries in conflict.

Stoltenberg is in Seoul for the first leg of his Asia trip, which will also include a stop in Japan, as part of a strained effort to lure the region's allies into sending lethal weapons in the wake of the war in Ukraine not to mention underpinning tensions with China.

He met with top South Korean officials on Sunday and urged Seoul to do more to "assist" Kiev, saying there was an "urgent need for more munitions" on Monday.

Honoured to pay respects at Seoul National Cemetery. #NATO's history has long been linked to the Republic of Korea; today our security is more interconnected than ever. I look forward to discussing how to strengthen our partnership to promote the rules-based international order. pic.twitter.com/muiXY7QpZa
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 29, 2023

The NATO Secretary-General said that countries like Germany and Norway had "long-standing policies not to export weapons to countries in conflict", which they revised after the war in Ukraine started in February last year.

"If we believe in freedom, democracy, if we don't want autocracy and totalitarian to win then they need weapons," he said, speaking at the Chey Institute in Seoul.

Commenting on this issue, a researcher of the Society for International Politics Study in DPRK, warned in an article published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday that "NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will likely exert pressure on Japan and South Korea to force these countries to provide military aid to Ukraine."

"It is a matter of time that the military hardware of South Korea and Japan flowing into NATO are seen in the Ukrainian battlefield," Kim Tong Myong added, stressing that Stoltenberg will use the "theory of threat from China" in order to pressure Japan and South Korea.

The big picture

South Korea is a growing global arms exporter, having recently won contracts to sell hundreds of tanks to European countries, including NATO member Poland.

However, South Korean law prohibits the transfer of weapons to countries in active conflict.

It is worth noting that South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO last year.

Stoltenberg stated that it was unknown when the Ukrainian conflict would finish, claiming that Putin was preparing for "further war" and actively obtaining weapons from countries such as DPRK.

In response to the US allegations, Pyongyang has firmly denied sending weapons to Moscow, and said Sunday that Washington would face a "really undesirable result" if it persisted in spreading the "self-made rumor".

"Trying to tarnish the image of (DPRK) by fabricating a non-existent thing is a grave provocation that can never be allowed and that cannot but trigger its reaction," said Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the DPRK's Department of US Affairs. He also called it "a foolish attempt to justify its offer of weapons to Ukraine".

Last week, US President Joe Biden committed 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.