He was asked to comment on the recent visit to Seoul by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who, according to media reports, requested the South Korean authorities to sell defense weapons to Kyiv, but allegedly received a refusal.
"The key question for them is – what will the reaction be? Not only from comrade Kim Jong-un, [the North Korean dictator], but also from Russia. And they are studying this very carefully, by the way. Right now, they are traveling across Europe asking: 'What was the reaction?', 'What hybrid influences were there?', 'Who tried to cut the cable?', 'What cyberattacks occurred?' and so on," said Klimkin.
The former head of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry noted that while Seoul did not say "yes" to Kyiv, it also did not say "no."
"To say 'yes', they need more information, more confidence, and a change in conditions. [Donald] Trump, [who won the U.S. presidential election and will take office in January 2025] – this is also a change in conditions, so they will wait for the inauguration, see what the environment is like, and then make decisions," Klimkin stated.
In his opinion, in the long run, South Korea may agree to provide military assistance to Ukraine.