South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Makes Shock Go to to Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a shock go to to Ukraine on Saturday, providing an obvious present of help for the nation in its struggle in opposition to Russia.

Yoon’s workplace stated he traveled to Ukraine together with his spouse, Kim Keon Hee, following journeys to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It’s his first go to since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 17 months in the past.

Yoon toured Bucha and Irpin, a pair of small cities close to Kyiv the place our bodies of civilians had been discovered within the streets and mass graves after Russian troops retreated from the capital area final 12 months. He laid flowers at a monument to the nation’s struggle lifeless.

The South Korean chief was scheduled to carry talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later within the day, Yoon’s senior adviser for press affairs, Kim Eun-hye, stated in a press release.

South Korea, a key U.S. ally in Asia, joined worldwide sanctions in opposition to Russia and has offered Ukraine with humanitarian and monetary help to Ukraine.

However the Asian nation, a rising arms exporter, has not provided weapons to Ukraine Ukraine in step with its long-standing coverage of not supplying arms to international locations actively engaged in battle.

Earlier this month, Yoon stated in written responses to questions from The Associated Press that provides of de-mining tools, ambulances and different non-military supplies “are within the works” following a request from Ukraine.

“The federal government of the Republic of Korea is firmly dedicated to actively becoming a member of the USA and different liberal democracies in worldwide efforts to defend the liberty of Ukraine,” Yoon stated in written responses to the AP.

Throughout a January go to to South Korea, NATO Secretary-Basic Jens Stoltenberg referred to as for the nation to offer direct army help to Ukraine, saying Kyiv was in pressing want of weapons to battle off the extended Russian invasion.

In Could, when Yoon met Ukrainian first girl Olena Zelenska in Seoul, the president stated he would broaden South Korea’s non-lethal aid to Ukraine. Yoon’s spokesperson, Lee Do Woon, stated on the time that Zelenska made no request for South Korean weapons provides throughout her dialog with Yoon.

Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has reached billions of {dollars} price of offers to offer tanks, howitzers, fighter jets and different weapons techniques to NATO member Poland.

An American official stated in November that the USA had agreed to purchase 100,000 artillery rounds from South Korean producers to offer to Ukraine, though South Korean officers have maintained that the munitions had been meant to refill depleted U.S. shares.

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