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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is urging South Korea to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion by revising its rule that prevents it from exporting weapons to countries engaged in conflict.
During a speech to the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, Mr. Stoltenberg on Monday said NATO members Germany and Norway along with Sweden, which hopes to join the alliance, amended their arms export policies to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
“If we don’t want autocracy and tyranny to win, then they [Ukrainians] need weapons. That’s the reality,” said Mr. Stoltenberg, according to Reuters.
Last year, Poland signed a nearly $6 billion deal for South Korean tanks, howitzers and ammunition. But South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has said providing arms to Ukraine is more difficult because of the law.
During a Sunday meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Mr. Stoltenberg said it is more important than ever for countries that believe in the rules-based international order to stand together.
“We also know that our security is more and more interconnected,” said Mr. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister. “The war in Ukraine has also ramifications for your region. North Korea is providing military support to the Russian war efforts with rockets and missiles.”
He said Seoul and NATO can work together on a variety of issues, including cyber technology, arms control and nonproliferation.
“There are many areas where we believe that an even stronger partnership between the Republic of Korea and NATO can be of mutual benefit,” Mr. Stoltenberg said.
