Russia Warns South Korea Against Joining NATO Arms Plan for Ukraine

(MENAFN) Russia has cautioned South Korea that joining a NATO-backed initiative to supply weapons to Ukraine could seriously harm bilateral relations, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson. The warning follows reports that Seoul is considering participating in the program.

The initiative, called the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), was launched last August and focuses on European NATO members purchasing primarily US-made arms for Ukraine. Earlier this year, Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky criticized European allies for moving too slowly to fund the program, despite publicly available figures showing that $4.3 billion had been committed by December, according to reports.

“The government has continued to consult with [NATO] over various measures to support Ukraine,” a South Korean foreign ministry official told reports on Friday. The NATO alliance reportedly invited Seoul to join the PURL.

Russia expressed surprise at the news, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating on Saturday that South Korea’s “possible participation in such shipments in any form – direct or indirect – would only postpone… the conflict resolution.”

“It would undoubtedly cause irreparable damage to relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea,” she added, warning that Moscow might respond with retaliatory measures, including “asymmetric” options.

Russia has consistently criticized Western arms transfers to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the conflict, increase civilian suffering, and fail to change the situation on the ground.

South Korea, meanwhile, has benefited significantly from the global surge in defense spending.

The country’s largest arms manufacturer, Hanwha Group, reported a 42% increase in revenues from weapons sales in 2024, with more than half of that income coming from exports to NATO countries, according to reports from a defense research organization.

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