News - Middle East: The United States is mulling the purchase of artillery shells from South Korea to supply them to Ukraine, a US official says, even though Seoul insists that its policy of not sending military aid to Ukraine remains unchanged.

Citing some US officials who are familiar with the agreement, the Wall Street Journal said the agreement includes the purchase of 100,000 rounds of 155mm cannonballs that are meant to be delivered to Ukraine.

Reuters news agency cited a US official confirming on Friday that Washington intends to send the South Korean artillery shells to Ukraine.

The official said the funds from the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) could be used to buy the ammunition, but it was not yet clear how the ammunition would be dispatched to Ukraine.

South Korea's defense ministry announced in a statement that the country's position on not sending lethal military aid to Ukraine has not changed and its “confidential” negotiations on the sale of the artillery shells were being conducted “under the premise that the US is the end user”.

“In order to make up for the shortage of 155mm ammunition inventories in the US, negotiations are ongoing between the US and Korean companies to export ammunition,” the ministry said in a statement.

The US official, however, warned that news about negotiations on the arms deal could be a threat to reaching an agreement.

South Korea, which is a close ally of Washington, has tried very hard to avoid enmity with Moscow for economic reasons and also because Russia can play an important role in North Korea's rivalry with South Korea.