WNAM REPORT: South Korea is facing an increasingly complex dilemma over whether to provide military aid to Ukraine, caught between the diverging stances of U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, according to analysts, Wednesday.
The incoming Trump administration has pledged to scale back U.S. military support for Ukraine and push to end the war. In contrast, Biden remains committed to aiding Kyiv during his final two months in office.
On Tuesday, which marked the 1,000th day of the war, Ukraine launched six U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike Russian territory. This marked the first time Kyiv had used American missiles against Russian soil, coming just two days after the U.S. leader approved their deployment.
But Biden’s decision to authorize the use of U.S.-supplied missiles has drawn sharp criticism from Trump’s team.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, called it “another step in the escalation ladder” and warned it could lead to more North Korean troops being deployed to support Russia, during an interview with Fox News. He also mentioned that “South Korea is now saying it may get engaged.”
The reluctance of Trump’s team to expand the Russo-Ukraine war has complicated Seoul’s decision on supplying arms to Kyiv. Just weeks ago, the South Korean government announced that it may consider providing weapons to the war-torn nation — a significant policy shift — in response to the deployment of North Korean troops on Russia’s side in the conflict.
Doo Jin-ho, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said South Korea is becoming more cautious about providing arms to Ukraine, especially after Trump’s reelection.
“While it’s important to align with the Biden administration, if South Korea provides military support to Ukraine while Trump is signaling a reduction in aid, it will inevitably affect the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the coming months,” Doo said, noting that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may have already begun behind-the-scenes negotiations for a peace agreement.
