Lee pledges $100 mil. to Ukraine in first summit with Zelenskyy at NATO meeting

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of their bilateral summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday. Yonhap

ANKARA — President Lee Jae Myung had his first bilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Wednesday. Lee announced a $100 million comprehensive support package for war-torn Ukraine, and they discussed how to handle North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) in the country in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.

"The president stressed that Korea will continue to provide humanitarian assistance needed by the Ukrainian people while also joining international efforts to support the country's recovery and reconstruction," Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

According to Kang, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Korea's support and said he hopes to continue close cooperation with Korea and the broader international community to help bring about an end to the war and achieve peace and recovery.

He also expressed hope for the continued interest and participation by the Korean government and companies in Ukraine's reconstruction.

The two leaders agreed to address the issue of North Korean POWs in Ukraine in a manner that respects the individuals' free will and complies with international law and humanitarian principles.

They exchanged views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine and agreed to maintain close communication to further develop bilateral relations.

The Zelenskyy meeting was one of several bilateral talks Lee held Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where Korea has been pushing to deepen cooperation with the alliance. NATO's 32 member states collectively account for roughly 55 percent of global defense spending and represent the world's largest defense procurement market — a bloc that has further committed to raising defense spending to a historic 5 percent of gross domestic product.

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store ahead of their bilateral summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday. Yonhap

Lee met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and the two leaders said they expected the talks to lay the groundwork for strengthening bilateral ties further, including in defense and security.

“We recently made an important decision in the defense sector, and I believe it was the right one for advancing our relationship into a strategic partnership," the Norwegian prime minister said through an interpreter, referring to Norway's September 2025 order of 24 additional K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha Aerospace, which nearly doubled its fleet.

“We will continue to deepen cooperation in security, trade and technology,” he said, adding that he expected the meeting to serve as "a valuable occasion to discuss how we can further strengthen bilateral relations."

Speaking through an interpreter, Lee said the international situation remains highly unstable, making it difficult for any single country to overcome these challenges alone.

"At times like these, cooperation and exchanges between countries are more important than ever," he said, adding that Korea and Norway have accordingly developed a close partnership, supporting each other across a wide range of areas, including the economy, industry, culture and defense.

"I hope today's bilateral talks will allow us to have an in-depth discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation and partnership in the years ahead."

During his meeting with Romanian President Nicusor Dan, Lee highlighted that Korea was Romania's first strategic partner in Asia, with the two countries establishing their strategic partnership in 2008.

He also welcomed the start of construction in February this year on a K9 self-propelled howitzer production plant in Romania's Dambovița County, saying it demonstrated the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

"Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1990, the two countries have built unwavering trust and grown together as reliable partners connecting Asia and Europe. I am pleased to see our mutually beneficial cooperation continuing to deepen," Lee said.