The Russia-Ukraine war has officially reached South Korea. All thanks to Seoul’s western masters. As the US and Europe shift their attention to the unfolding crisis in West Asia, it seems like they have ordered their vassal states to look after the permanent liability called Ukraine. Well, the news is that South Korea will now offer military as well as economic aid to Ukraine.
On October 2, Ukraine signed a loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea to attract $100 million, which will be the first financial support offered by the Republic of Korea. The loan is for a 20-year term with an interest rate of 1.0% per annum. The grace period is 5 years from the date of signing the loan agreement.
Well, the deepening co-operation between Seoul and Kyiv is not limited to just economic aid.
In June this year, Seoul had declared it will consider sending weapons to Ukraine in a warning to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The announcement came soon after Putin signed a mutual defence pact with North Korea. The Kremlin chief was visiting Pyongyang for the first time in more than 20 years. The visit had limited security implications for South Korea and the focus was largely the Ukraine war. But still, South Korea chose to lock horns with Putin, highly likely at the behest of Uncle Sam or the NATO.
South Korean national security adviser Chang Ho-jin said, “Any co-operation that helps increase North Korea’s military power is a violation of the UN Security Council.”
So far, South Korea has only provided non-lethal aid to Ukraine. But things may change soon now, with the West’s resources stretching thin over tensions between Israel and Iran.
Not to mention, it has US written all over it. Soon after Seoul announced its plan to send military aid to Ukraine, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington would “welcome any support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.”
But before dancing on Washington’s tune, Seoul should know directly helping Ukraine against Russia will put South Korea in line of Putin’s fire. Putin has already warned South Korea that sending lethal weapons to Ukraine would be a “big mistake.”
Putin said, “If South Korea supplies weapons to Ukraine, it will not like the answer. I hope they won’t do it, it would be a big mistake,”. Ouch! Quite a warning there! Putin also added that his pact with North Korea was “defensive in nature,” and Seoul didn’t need to react to it.
South Korea then reversed its hostile posture in July. South Korea’s top diplomat called Russia a “strategic partner” in a bid to ease tensions.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said, “Russia is a strategic partner that can play an important role in the Korean peninsula issue, and our security and economic interests are at stake.”
Now, this U-turn by South Korea showed how Seoul wants to maintain good ties with Putin but is forced to strike a defiant tone when pushed by the West. Seoul understands peace in the Korean peninsula can’t be achieved without Russian co-operation as Moscow and Pyongyang are iron-clad allies. But Uncle Sam is more than willing to sacrifice South Korea to fulfil American interests both in Ukraine and West Asia.