South Korea’s top diplomat has discussed support to Ukraine and the ongoing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting, his ministry said Friday.Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul pledged to continue support to Ukraine at a session involving representatives of NATO’s Indo-Pacific partner countries, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand, in Brussels on Thursday (local time), according to the ministry.Cho said Seoul plans to provide a US$2.3 billion mid- to long-term aid package to Ukraine starting this year and offer $12 million for rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers through a NATO trust fund for assistance to Ukraine.

Cho also said North Korea’s weapons support to Russia impacts not only Europe’s security but also that of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region, adding that Moscow’s military technology transfers and supply of refined oil to Pyongyang will threaten the global nonproliferation regime.Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened military ties since the summit between their leaders at a Russian space port last September. The United States and its allies have accused North Korea of delivering arms to Russia to fuel its war on Ukraine.Cho criticized Russia’s recent veto at the U.N. Security Council against extending the mandate of a panel to monitor sanctions on North Korea, likening it to destroying a surveillance camera to prevent a criminal from being arrested, according to the ministry.The minister vowed to strengthen the partnership with NATO, and the alliance’s members shared the view on the importance of cooperation with Indo-Pacific 메이저 partner countries to effectively deal with transnational security threats, it said.