S. Korea, EU eye increasing pressure on Russia due to situation in Ukraine

South Korea and the EU intend to increase ‘collective pressure’ on Russia because of the situation in Ukraine, reads a joint statement issued on May 22 following a meeting between President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Head of the European Council Charles Michel in Seoul, Report informs referring to TASS.

“We agree to maintain and increase the collective pressure on Russia, particularly through effective implementation of the respective restrictive measures. We are committed to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and remain resolved to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. We discussed ways of increasing our support for Ukraine to meet financial, material, security and humanitarian needs,” reads the statement.

The EU and the Republic of Korea ranked the events in Ukraine and North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs as ‘a serious threat to international and regional peace and security.’ The parties condemned the North Korean ballistic missile launches and called on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear program. Seoul and Brussels expressed their commitment to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.