Minister of Defense Canada Anita Anand speaks with Canadian military personnel during a visit to highlight military aid to Ukraine at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Trenton, Ontario, Canada, April 14, 2022. REUTERS / Lars Hagberg / File Photo
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Seoul, May 30 (Reuters) – Canada has asked South Korea to supply it with artillery ammunition, Seoul said on Monday, apparently to “fill” supplies Ottawa has sent to Ukraine, raising pressure on South Korea. South to provide them, at least indirectly, lethal aid in the war.
Canada has provided Ukraine with M777 towed shells, which fire 155 mm shells. Last week, Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada would send an additional 20,000 155mm ammunition cartridges from the United States.
A spokesman for South Korea’s defense ministry confirmed that Ottawa had made the request, but did not go into more detail, saying that “there is no official process underway related to the request.”
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South Korean broadcaster SBS, citing a senior anonymous South Korean Defense Ministry official, said the deal could involve up to 100,000 shells from South Korean reserves, probably sold below market value. .
“We are actively pursuing a plan to provide 100,000 rounds to Canada,” the official told SBS.
Global Affairs Canada, which manages diplomatic and consular relations, and the Canadian Department of National Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
South Korea is a major manufacturer of 155mm ammunition, with its self-propelled K9 howitzer dominating the international market. K9 is used by several European countries, such as Finland, Norway and Estonia, but South Korea has said it has no plans to provide lethal aid to Ukraine.
South Korea has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and sent non-lethal items such as bulletproof helmets and medical kits.
Former President Moon Jae-in’s administration has rejected requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for armored vehicles and anti-aircraft, anti-tank and anti-ship weapons.
New South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office on May 10, has shown interest in aligning more closely with Washington, and has sparked speculation that he would give the green light to at least some lethal indirect aid to Ukraine. .
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Report by Soo-hyang Choi. Additional report by Amran Abocar in Ottawa. Written by Josh Smith; Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore
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