“Russia’s war against Ukraine cannot be separated from Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea or from the threats facing the Indo-Pacific region”.

This was stated by Nataliya Butyrska, Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center, in an interview with the Ukrainian Service of Radio Taiwan International – RTI. The conversation focused on the diplomatic crisis between Ukraine and South Korea, its causes, and its implications for international security.

According to the analyst, the diplomatic conflict between Ukraine and South Korea should not be viewed solely as a dispute over the confidentiality of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. It has deeper underlying causes, including the domestic political interests of the South Korean authorities, their efforts to improve relations with Russia and North Korea, and a lack of awareness of the shared threat posed by Russian–North Korean cooperation.

Nataliya Butyrska points out that Russia and North Korea are deepening their military cooperation, while the participation of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine gives Pyongyang access to new technologies and combat experience. At the same time, part of the international community continues to view Russia’s war against Ukraine as a separate regional conflict, failing to link it to security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

The analyst also discusses relations between Ukraine and Taiwan. Taiwan has supported Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, while Ukrainian society feels solidarity with the Taiwanese, who are also facing pressure from a much larger neighbour.

According to Nataliya Butyrska, Ukraine and Taiwan have opportunities for practical cooperation, sharing experience, and developing people-to-people ties.

The interview also covered:

• The domestic political factors behind the diplomatic tensions between Ukraine and South Korea;
• Russia–North Korea military cooperation and its implications for global security;
• Taiwan’s support for Ukraine and the prospects for Ukrainian–Taiwanese relations;
• The impact of US policy on the security of Ukraine and countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Listen to more in the latest episode of the podcast #НаЗвʼязкуТайванщина: https://music.youtube.com/podcast/pZcOdEn6TAY