The US Department of Defense has asked its forces stationed in South Korea to provide equipment to help Ukraine in the war against Russia, the US military said yesterday, adding that the move has “zero impact” on its operations in the Asian nation.
US Forces Korea, which has about 28,500 troops in South Korea, said the move is part of US efforts to help Ukraine with its inventories.
“This has zero impact on our operations and our ability to execute on our ironclad commitment to the defense of our ally, the Republic of Korea,” US Forces Korea spokesperson Colonel Isaac Taylor said in a statement.
US Forces Korea declined to provide further details, including what types of equipment and how much has been requested or already transferred.
The statement comes after the New York Times earlier this week reported that the US was diverting munitions in Israel and South Korea to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia.
Asked about the report, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense said it was closely coordinating with the US to maintain readiness posture.
South Korea’s policy is not to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine.
Seoul has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia, both for economic reasons and because of the influence that Moscow can exert with North Korea.
A US official in November last year said that Washington was in talks with South Korea to buy artillery shells to send to Ukraine, though Seoul insisted that the US must be the ammunition’s end-user.
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