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Zelensky’s wife asks South Korea for air defense systems

Yelena Zelenskaya arrived in Seoul on Monday as a special representative of the Ukrainian President

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s wife, Yelena Zelenskaya, who is visiting Seoul Tuesday, said that she asked South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to ship air defense systems to Ukraine and provide assistance with modern technology.

"I began my visit to the Republic of Korea to attend the Asian Leadership Conference with a meeting with the President of Korea […] Right now, we also need assistance with technology, for which [South Korea] is famous," Zelenskaya said on her Telegram channel. "I’ve raised the issue of shipping air defense systems, as well as demining and medical equipment."

Zelenskaya arrived in Seoul on Monday as a special representative of the Ukrainian President. So far, South Korea has provided financial and humanitarian support to Kiev, but has not shipped any weapons. In April, Yoon Suk Yeol said that Seoul may start shipping weapons to Kiev, if a "serious threat to civilians emerges."

On Tuesday, South Korean Presidential Administration Spokesman Lee Do Woon announced the president’s meeting with Zelenskaya. According to the spokesman, Yoon Suk Yeol will provide aid to Kiev "in close coordination with NATO member states and the international community." Meanwhile, another Administration employee said that there have been no requests for lethal weapons from Ukraine. According to the employee, Zelenskaya "understood" that Seoul considers arms shipment problematic.

Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Seoul Andrey Kulik said that any arms shipments to Ukraine by South Korea would be an unacceptable step for Russia, and would destroy Russian-Korean bilateral relations. The diplomat called such shipments a red line for Moscow.

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