Columnist: Zelenskyy Publicly Exposed N. Korean POW Transfer to Seoul in Retaliation Over Failed Weapons Support

A Russian columnist has claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent surprise public disclosure at the United Nations regarding the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea was driven by frustration over failing to secure Patriot air defense missile support from Seoul.

In an opinion piece reported by Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency on the 28th, columnist Dmitry Babirin analyzed that Ukraine is finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the Patriot systems it needs from European allies such as Poland and Spain.

Babirin pointed out that while Ukraine has sought assistance, stating that "the countries that can truly help Kyiv are South Korea and Japan," the possibility of support from both nations was slim as it would require legal revisions.

Furthermore, he claimed that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has avoided conflict with Russia, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has long opposed providing weapons to Ukraine.

"Despite having nothing to gain, Ukraine has paid particular attention to South Korea," Babirin claimed, adding, "He (President Zelenskyy), a native of Kryvyi Rih, promised to keep the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul a secret, but out of spite, resorted to retaliating by disclosing it at the UN."

Babirin also cited a post shared by President Lee on X on the 24th regarding criticism over the South Korean government not being the first to reveal the repatriation of North Korean POWs—which noted, "Someone who harms someone else's life, national interest, and security for minor personal gain is called a murderer or a traitor"—and interpreted that "the terms murderer and traitor were used to describe Zelenskyy."

Babirin added that realistically, the only two countries left for Ukraine to request Patriot missiles from are Greece and Germany.

Earlier that day, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Andrii Beshkin, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Ukrainian Embassy in South Korea, to the ministry building to express strong regrets.

On the 27th, the presidential office pointed out through a statement by Senior Public Relations Secretary Sung Ki-hong, "It is a serious problem that the Ukrainian side broke the confidential agreement and unilaterally disclosed the matter without prior consultation or even notification, but announcing the falsehood that 'there was no confidential agreement' severely damages trust between the two governments.".
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.