Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara separately acknowledged that maintaining contacts with Russia as a neighboring state remains important for Japan
Japan's government has formally approved a revision of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, effectively lifting restrictions on arms exports including lethal weapons. The National Security Council will make export decisions, potentially opening the way for Japan to supply weapons to Ukraine. Japan currently has security agreements with 17 countries. Russia warned it would respond decisively if Patriot missiles supplied by Japan to the US end up in Ukraine.
