In a question and answer session after a speech at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea to continue and to step up the specific issue of military support.
Stoltenberg is in Seoul, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with U.S. allies in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China.
Stoltenberg expressed gratitude to South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding that there is an “urgent need” for ammunition.
Stoltenberg asked South Korea to reconsider its rule on not exporting weapons to countries in conflict so it could help arm Ukraine in resisting Russian attacks.
“Several NATO allies who had as a policy never to export weapons to countries in conflict have changed that policy now,” Stoltenberg iterated, citing Germany, Norway and NATO applicant Sweden as those which have changed their arms export policies to help Ukraine.
“At the end of the day, it’s a decision for you to make,” he added.
“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 another one in a blatant way as we have seen in Ukraine, if we believe in freedom, if we believe in democracy, if we don’t want autocracy and tyranny to win, then they need weapons.”
Jens Stoltenberg
The NATO chief emphasized that when the invasion started last year, many countries altered their policy because they realized that the only way to stand up for democracy, to help Ukraine prevail, and to create the conditions for a lasting peace was to deliver military support.
Last week, Germany said it would send 14 of its Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, while also permitting other countries that possess the Leopards, including Norway, to supply them. U.S also followed suit by announcing the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. However, Ukraine is still in need of more weaponry.
Exports Can Only Be Used For “Peaceful Purposes”
Some experts say the South Korean K2 Panther is also in the group of top tanks and could be useful for Ukraine.
However, a South Korean presidential decree that enforces the country’s Foreign Trade Act says its exports can only be used for “peaceful purposes” and “shall not affect international peace, safety maintenance, and national security.”
South Korean President, Yoon Suk-yeol, has disclosed that his country’s law against providing arms to countries in conflicts makes providing weapons to Ukraine difficult.
South Korea is also a signatory to the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty, endorsed in 2014 with the intention of keeping close control on who gets weapons and under what conditions they can be used.
Stoltenberg opined that it is imperative that democracies must stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes for Kyiv to win the war.
“Because if [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin wins, the message to him and other authoritarian leaders will be that they can get what they want with the use of force. This would make the world more dangerous and us more vulnerable.”
Jens Stoltenberg
In meetings with senior South Korean officials, Stoltenberg maintained that events in Europe and North America are interconnected with other regions, and that the alliance wants to help manage global threats by increasing partnerships in Asia.
The NATO chief’s visit also comes as U.S. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin was due to arrive in Seoul on Monday for talks with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-Sup.
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