Japan has opened the door to military aid for Ukraine: what we know
This is reported by Reuters, citing an interview with Yuriy Lutovinov, Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan.
Japan has relaxed its arms export rules, and Ukraine sees this as an opportunity for future negotiations on military aid.
Yuriy Lutovynov, Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan, said the new rules could pave the way for discussions on the supply of Japanese military equipment to support Ukraine in the war against Russia.
“This allows us to talk. Theoretically, this is a huge step forward,” Lutovynov said in an interview with Reuters at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decision to relax export rules marks yet another step by Tokyo away from its strict post-war pacifist policy.
According to Reuters, the decision has attracted widespread interest as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are putting additional pressure on Western arms production.
The updated rules maintain controls on exports to conflict zones.
At the same time, they provide for exceptions if such supplies are in Japan’s security interests.
It is precisely this possibility that Ukraine is counting on.
Japan links Ukraine’s security to its own.
Tokyo is monitoring the growth of China’s military power and fears that Beijing’s attempt to seize Taiwan could drag Japan into the conflict.
Japanese territory extends to a distance of approximately 110 km from Taiwan.
After the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Japan’s then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that “Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow”.
It was under his government that Japan approved the largest military build-up since the Second World War.
After taking office in October, Takaichi accelerated this course.
“If Ukraine falls, it will have a major domino effect,” Lutovynov stated.
According to him, the Indo-Pacific region and the European continent are inseparable in terms of security.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Takaichi herself has not publicly stated that she supports arms exports to Ukraine.
In November, during a telephone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she stated that “Japan stands with Ukraine” and supports its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace as soon as possible.
To receive Japanese military equipment, Ukraine would need to conclude an agreement with Tokyo on the transfer of defence technology and equipment.
Japan already has such agreements with 18 countries, including Germany, Australia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Lutovynov noted that Ukraine is proceeding cautiously due to the sensitivity of the issue of defence exports in Japan.
In the short term, he said, Japan could finance Ukraine’s air defence system.
This involves developing a system that could reduce Ukraine’s dependence on American Patriot missiles, for which there is a growing shortage.
“We have all the necessary industrial capacity for production. But we need investment. We need funds,” said the ambassador.
Discussions are also ongoing regarding Japan’s possible participation in NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme.
This mechanism funds the procurement of American equipment for Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the programme has already supplied Ukraine with equipment and ammunition worth over $4 billion.
Last year, Australia and New Zealand became the first non-NATO countries to join this mechanism.
“Any country can participate in this mechanism, in accordance with its own legal framework. This could include non-lethal weapons,” explained Lutovynov.
A separate area of cooperation involves electronics and microcomponents for Ukrainian drones.
According to the ambassador, Japanese companies could help Ukraine diversify its sources of such components.
This is important because Ukraine uses thousands of drones on the front line.
Reuters notes that, according to a 2025 report by the Ukrainian think tank Snake Island Institute, Chinese components have historically dominated Ukrainian drones.
During the interview at the embassy, a model of the Ukrainian Vampire bomber, manufactured by Skyfall, stood behind Lutovinov.
It is one of Ukraine’s leading manufacturers of low-cost drones.
The company states that it already has sufficient production capacity for export.
The Takaichi administration plans to present a defence strategy and military procurement plan this year.
These are expected to include a significant increase in the number of air, sea and land-based drones.
It is precisely such technologies that Ukraine is actively using to repel Russian attacks.
“We are not a country that only wants to ask. We are a country that will also provide,” Lutovynov stated.
According to him, the combination of Japanese technology and Ukrainian expertise could result in a high-quality product.
As reported by ThePublic, Saudi Aramco is in talks to purchase Ukrainian drones to protect oil fields
Follow us on Telegram
