Poland declines Ukraine's request for South Korean weapons, prioritizes national defense
In a recent press conference held in South Korea, Polish President Andrzej Duda made it clear that Poland will not be transferring weapons acquired from South Korea to Ukraine, despite requests from Kyiv, reports Ukrinform.
President Duda stated, "There's no scenario under which we will hand over weapons, purchased for billions of zlotys from Polish taxpayers' pockets, to anyone else. These weapons are earmarked to ensure the safety and defense of the Republic of Poland."
He emphasized that while Ukrainian partners have posed such inquiries, his response remained unequivocal: no weapons bought for Poland's defense would be handed over.
This announcement followed a meeting between Duda and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, where both leaders condemned the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for involvement in the ongoing Ukraine war. Additionally, they committed to finalizing a contract for exporting South Korean K-2 tanks to Poland by the year's end.
In the backdrop of these discussions, South Korean media hinted at the possibility of Seoul deploying its military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine and potentially contemplating sending lethal weapons to Kyiv. Such measures are seen as a response to North Korea's troop deployment in Ukraine.