The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, confirmed that Washington wanted to send South Korean 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine. The official said that Ukraine Security Initiative (USAI) funds could be used to buy the ammunition, but that it was unclear whether it would be shipped through US soil. South Korea’s defense ministry, however, said its position of not providing lethal aid to Ukraine was unchanged and that negotiations were being held “under the condition that the US is the end user”. “In order to cover the shortage of 155mm ammunition stocks in the US, negotiations are continuing between US and Korean companies to export ammunition,” the ministry said in a statement. The US official warned that news of the talks could threaten the deal. A US ally, South Korea has sought to avoid competition with Russia, both for economic reasons and because of the influence Moscow can wield over North Korea. Citing US officials familiar with the deal, the Wall Street Journal reported that the deal would include 100,000 155mm artillery shells being delivered to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on South Korea to provide weapons, which he said would be “necessary”. Last month, South Korean President Yun Suk-yeol said Seoul had not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin said such a decision would damage bilateral relations. US national security spokesman John Kirby said last week that Washington had information that North Korea was secretly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of its own artillery shells for use in Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied any arms shipment. Reporting by Josh Smith and Mike Stone. Edited by Christopher Cushing and Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
