[Column] Weapon supplies do more harm than good

We must not make the mistake of assisting in the deaths of so many innocent people.

Nam Jeong-ho

The author is a columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo. Korea is once again at a crossroads. It was caught between the U.S.-led NATO, which requested for arms support to Ukraine, and Russia, which made threats should it decide to help. The situation became even more complicated after the United States said it would buy artillery shells from Korea, as its stockpile became short after offering them to Ukraine. When its stockpile of shells for 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers ran low, the U.S. purchased 100,000 rounds from Korea last year. Recently, it asked for more.

First of all, Korea must not provide deadly weapons to Ukraine. Even if it sells shells to the United States, conditions must be attached so that they do not get exported to Ukraine. There is no justification or practical gain for Korea by offering arms assistance to Ukraine.

Let me check the issue first. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently visited Korea and stressed in a seminar on Jan. 30 that the only way to help Ukraine win the war, protect democracy and create a path for permanent peace is through military aid.

On the first anniversary of the war on Jan. 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has emerged as a hero, reaffirmed his determination to fight back. “We will defeat everyone,” he said. Since his speech, NATO member countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, started providing offensive weapons to Ukraine. The move clearly shows it will be a long war with no end in sight.

“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die,” said former U.S. President Herbert Hoover. How would the mothers with young sons in Ukraine perceive Zelensky’s speech? Ukraine and Russia each suffered about 100,000 to 150,000 casualties of their soldiers, not to mention over 20,000 civilian casualties.

Is it really right to provide weapons to continue this tragedy? The international community’s effort to mediate the end of the war is crucial. And yet, U.S. President Joe Biden visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on Feb. 20 and promised an additional aid of $500 million. Far from ending the war, he was actually fueling it.

The war truly started with the Russian invasion. But if you look further into it, America is not free from its responsibility. In 1990, the U.S. promised to Russia that the territory of NATO would not be expanded to the east, not even an inch. That helped the unification of Germany. But the U.S. was about to accept Ukraine’s joining of the NATO even though the former Soviet state shares borders with Russia. For Russia, it had no other choice but to make a move. For this reason, Professor John Mearsheimer at the University of Chicago has long stressed that if Ukraine seeks to join the NATO, Russia will invade the country and that the U.S. has strong responsibility for that.

From a practical point of view, Korea has more to lose than to gain by offering arms aid to Ukraine. What will Korea gain by sending weapons? Some say that the Korea-U.S. alliance will be strengthened and Korea will benefit when it participates in the reconstruction projects of Ukraine. But could there really be a decisive change in the Korea-U.S. relations over a matter concerning another country? Furthermore, there is no way that Korea will monopolize the reconstruction projects.

In contrast, Korea’s annual trade with Russia, worth about $26.5 billion, will suffer a critical blow if Korea exports weapons to Ukraine. In addition, only Russia, among the four powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula, wants the unification. Russia is also a mediator of the two Koreas other than China. Taking all things into consideration, weapon support to Ukraine is not in Korea’s best national interest.

It may sound heartless, but the war in Ukraine is an event taking place in a faraway location unrelated to the security of the peninsula. In a meeting at the end of last month, former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said, “Is it okay for [Japan] to spend so much energy to help Ukraine?” adding, “I cannot imagine that Russia will lose.” His remarks carry some serious truth. Insisting that sending artillery shells to the U.S. is not helping Ukraine is just an act of deception. Russia is not a fool. There are many humanitarian ways to help Ukraine, such as landmine removal. We must not make the mistake of assisting in the deaths of so many innocent people.