South Korea has reached an agreement to lend the United States 500,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells that could give Washington greater flexibility to supply Ukraine with ammunition
The Country’s DongA Ilbo newspaper on Wednesday cited unidentified government sources as saying South Korea decided to “lend” the ammunition instead of selling, to minimize the possibility of South Korean shells being used in the Ukraine conflict.
South Korea’s defence ministry said the allies have been exploring ways to support Ukraine but declined to confirm specific discussions.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately offer comment.
The report came after leaked highly classified U.S. military documents highlighted South Korea’s difficulties dealing with pressure from Western allies to help with the supply of military aid to Ukraine.
South Korea, a key U.S. ally and major producer of artillery ammunition, says it cannot provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its own security situation amid evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
