"The Republic of Korea has been supporting Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022. Primarily, Seoul has focused on providing humanitarian and financial aid to our country. [...] Only in 2024, a batch of 148 units of equipment was delivered to Ukraine, which included trucks, firefighting equipment, demining machinery, combat engineering vehicles, and special (construction) equipment," he stated.
The Ukrainian diplomat noted that Seoul is assisting Ukraine with equipment for rescuers, medical personnel, and energy workers.
"The issue of direct arms supply remains extremely sensitive for the Republic of Korea. Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, citing the Republic of Korea's National Security Council decision to prohibit arms shipments to countries in a state of war, South Korea has consistently maintained its stated position that transferring lethal weapons to Ukraine is not legitimate and, accordingly, not possible. However, I deliberately mentioned the phrase 'direct supplies' because there are ways to provide indirect assistance to Ukraine through our main partners, particularly the USA. Some countries prefer such indirect avenues of support," Ponomarenko declared.
He explained that the situation could change with the involvement of North Korean military personnel in the war against Ukraine.
"The fact that North Korean soldiers are being engaged in combat against Ukraine's defense forces is actively used by us in negotiations to further revise South Korea's approaches to military support for Ukraine, particularly in the context of lifting the ban on exporting lethal weapons," Ponomarenko emphasized.
In his opinion, "sooner or later, the fact of the DPRK's involvement in the war will significantly boost the volume of assistance from the Republic of Korea, as well as deepen military-technical cooperation between Kyiv and Seoul."