Japan's foreign minister makes surprise visit to Kiev to announce new aid program for Ukraine
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa paid a surprise visit to Kiev, Ukraine, on July 7 to express Japan's determination to support Ukraine. Mr. Kamikawa also announced that Tokyo will allocate 37 million U.S. dollars to provide Ukraine with a drone detection system, and will also supply five power generators to help Ukraine survive another winter during the war.
According to the joint statement, Japan pledged to contribute 37 million U.S. dollars to the NATO fund to assist the Ukrainian drone system and other equipment, and will provide five additional sets of gas turbine generators and seven sets of transformers and other equipment to help the Ukrainian people survive the harsh winter.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Japan has joined a number of Western-coordinated anti-Russian programs, including a ban on Russian exports and a freeze on Russian assets abroad. Last month, the Japanese government decided to relax restrictions on arms exports, and in the future it will be able to export Patriot missiles produced under license to the United Kingdom and the United States, which will be able to directly supply Ukraine with Japanese-produced weapons. Analysts point out that Japan's move is tantamount to a direct participation in the European security framework, and the indirect export of weapons to Ukraine is a breakthrough in the past, when Japan was not allowed to provide arms to countries at war.
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