Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, poses during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin

Whether South Korea will provide lethal weapons to Ukraine is a sovereign matter for the nation to decide on its own, according to Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee, as the Russia-Ukraine war drags on for nearly 1,000 days.

He made the comments as the South Korean government continues to uphold its position of providing only humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine, despite increasing calls from Kyiv and other governments for the provision of lethal weapons.

"Every nation that contributes to support Ukraine does that within the political framework of that nation, within what is legally accepted and possible. So NATO does not have an opinion on what nations give or not give, because that is the sovereign decision of a nation," Bauer said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Wednesday. The interview took place during his participation in the annual Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD).

"Whether South Korea delivers lethal aid to Ukraine is a decision of South Korea and no one else," the Dutch admiral added.

Although South Korea continues to provide only non-lethal aid, officials in Seoul indicated in June that they might reconsider this stance in response to a military agreement signed between Russia and North Korea.

Bauer also said that South Korea is part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), an alliance of 50 nations supporting the defense of Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of the South's role in the group.

"In regular meetings, Ukraine tells the 50 nations that participate in that group what it needs. And that is not only weapons, but it's all kinds of things. South Korea knows what Ukraine needs now," he said.

Regarding the recent military pact between Russia and North Korea, Bauer noted that the specifics of the agreement are not well-known, but described it as a "concerning development." He suggested that the pact could include security guarantees, ammunition supplies, military technology transfers, or a combination of these elements.

"Until fairly recently, the world agreed that North Korea was on its own. But that very isolated nation is suddenly now needed by Russia, and is therefore opening up and is actually able to demand things from Russia that they were not able to demand two years ago," he said.

Bauer said that Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, is no longer insisting that North Korea behave. He added that Russia may lack both the capacity and willingness to control North Korea's military provocations.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, left, shakes hands with Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO military commitee, during a meeting on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, Wednesday. Courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense

When asked about NATO's support to South Korea in countering threats from the Russia-North Korea partnership, Bauer highlighted the distinction between military and political support.

"As NATO is a regional security organization, the alliance, in terms of military operations and the use of military forces, is unlikely to be outside the NATO territory, unless based on, for example, a U.N. mandate.

"But politically, you already see things what the (NATO) secretary general says, or statements on what North Korea is doing to condemn the fact that they launch their missiles in a dangerous way," he said, indicating NATO's strong political support for South Korea in the face of North Korean threats.

Bauer's attendance at the SDD, an annual security forum hosted by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, comes as the Asian nation and NATO have notably expanded their partnership in recent years. This was his second visit to Seoul as NATO's military chief, following his first trip in April 2022.

The Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) signed between South Korea and NATO in July 2023 has laid the groundwork for cooperation between the two, the admiral said. The agreement focuses on areas such as counterterrorism, women, peace and security, arms control, and climate change.

In addition, the two sides signed an agreement in July for the mutual recognition of military airworthiness certification for South Korea's domestically manufactured aircraft. This marks the first such deal NATO has made with an Asian country.

"This is a very practical example of where we have an agreement which helps to ease the cooperation. I expect that in the coming years, we will look for more opportunities to deepen the cooperation," Bauer said.