Ambassador Ponomarenko: Ukraine does not consider issue of captured DPRK soldiers as subject of negotiations
Ukraine believes that the issue of captured North Korean military personnel should be considered in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko said this in an interview with Yonhap.
"Ukraine does not consider this issue (of captured soldiers from the DPRK - ed.) as a subject for negotiations. Rather, it is an issue that should be considered in strict accordance with international law and humanitarian principles," he said.
Ponomarenko noted that the Ukrainian authorities are responsible for all official appeals and signals from the Korean side regarding the fate of captured DPRK servicemen and take into account the concerns of the South Korean government.
He also noted that in exchange for its "services" in providing military assistance to Russia, North Korea most likely demanded from Moscow what it needed, such as the transfer of advanced military technologies or other strategic support.
Ponomarenko emphasized that South Korea should be aware of these long-term security implications of North Korea's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
"The leaders of South Korea should not forget that Pyongyang also uses Ukrainian land as a testing ground for its weapons, which could be used in a future possible confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. In this regard, I believe that the Republic of Korea has no reason to hesitate in developing full-scale military-technical cooperation with Ukraine. This is a matter of interest for both Kyiv and Seoul," he added.
Earlier it was reported that Ukraine is open to discussions with South Korea on the possible transfer of two captured soldiers from the DPRK, given the threats to their lives in case of repatriation.
What was the background?
As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to hand over its soldiers to DPRK dictator Kim Jong-un if he can organize an exchange for our soldiers held captive in Russia.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Defense Forces had captured two DPRK soldiers. They are already communicating with the SSU.
Later, the SSU reported that they were conducting investigative actions with the DPRK prisoners.
It was also reported that operators of the Tactical Group No. 84 of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured a North Korean soldier during special operations in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
