Trump shares column urging South Korea to supply Cheongung-II to Ukraine

Donald Trump shared a Washington Post opinion column on social media suggesting that South Korea should supply its Cheongung-II (M-SAM II) mid-range air defense system to Ukraine to address immediate interceptor shortages.

The column, written by Mark Tiessen of the American Enterprise Institute, argues that the Trump administration should pressure South Korea to sell its stockpiles to Ukraine. Tiessen suggests this move could serve as an opportunity for South Korea to demonstrate its reliability as an ally, particularly following perceived lack of cooperation regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Tiessen also posits that providing these systems could benefit South Korea by allowing it to test the performance of the Cheongung-II against North Korean missiles currently being used in the Ukrainian theater. To mitigate risks of advanced technology leaking to adversaries like Russia, China, or Iran, the author proposes that the U.S. assist Ukraine in producing lower-cost versions of the Patriot system, such as the PAC-3 ACE, rather than transferring highly sensitive technology.