First vice foreign minister Chang Ho-jin is set to visit Russia soon.

According to a government source on Monday, Chang, who previously served as South Korea’s ambassador to Russia, will visit Moscow in mid-May and meet key diplomatic figures during his two-day stay.

The issue of South Korean military support for Ukraine may take center stage in the discussions after the move emerged as a possibility during the South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington last Wednesday.

Chang’s dispatch to Russia is speculated to be an attempt by Seoul to explain its view on the provision of aid to Ukraine, although the government has suggested that the upcoming visit is merely an opportunity for Chang to bid farewell to key diplomatic officials he worked with.

The vice minister had to abruptly leave his ambassadorial post after being appointed first vice minister ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the U.S. in a last-minute personnel shake-up.

A senior government official told Yonhap News Agency it would be desirable for officials to observe proper decorum at a time when Russia has designated South Korea an unfriendly nation for joining sanctions against Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.