Japan's recent relaxation of its weapons export rules has opened the door for discussions that could eventually lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia's invasion, according to Kyiv's ambassador to Japan.
Diplomatic Breakthrough
Yurii Lutovinov, Ukraine's ambassador to Japan, said in an interview at the Ukrainian embassy that the policy shift represents a significant step forward. "This allows us to talk," he stated. "Theoretically, it's a very big step forward."
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's move last week to ease export rules marks Japan's latest departure from its strict postwar pacifist stance. The decision has drawn widespread attention as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East strain Western arms production. While the overhaul maintains controls on exports to active conflict zones, it permits exceptions that serve Tokyo's security interests, a provision Kyiv hopes to leverage.
Security Linkage
Japan has linked Ukraine's fate to its own security as it confronts China's growing military power. With Japanese territory extending to within 110 kilometers of Taiwan, Tokyo fears that any attempt by Beijing to seize the island could draw Japan into a conflict. Shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that "Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow." He subsequently approved Japan's largest military buildup since World War Two, a plan Takaichi has accelerated since taking office in October.
"If Ukraine falls, it's going to be a big domino effect," Ambassador Lutovinov warned. "That's why the Indo-Pacific and the European continent are inseparable from the point of view of our security."
Path to Cooperation
Japan's Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Takaichi has not publicly indicated support for arms exports to Ukraine. In a November phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, her office stated that she affirmed "Japan stands with Ukraine" and supported its "efforts toward achieving a just and lasting peace" as soon as possible.
Like other countries interested in Japanese military equipment, Ukraine would need to conclude a defense equipment and technology transfer agreement with Tokyo. Japan has signed such agreements with 18 nations, including Germany, Australia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Lutovinov said Ukraine is proceeding cautiously due to the sensitivity of defense exports in Japan. More immediately, he suggested Tokyo could help fund Kyiv's development of an air-defense system to reduce reliance on US-made Patriot missiles, which are increasingly scarce. "We have all necessary industrial capacities for production. But we need investment. We need funds," he said.
NATO Funding and Drone Technology
Discussions are also underway about Japan contributing to NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a program that funds purchases of US-made equipment for Kyiv, Lutovinov revealed. The program has supplied over $4 billion in equipment and munitions, with Australia and New Zealand becoming the first non-NATO countries to join last year. "Every country can participate in this mechanism respecting its own legal framework. It can be non-lethal weapons as well," the ambassador noted.
Japanese firms could also assist Ukraine in diversifying the sources of electronics and micro-components needed for the thousands of drones deployed on the front lines. Chinese-made components have historically dominated Ukraine's drone supply, according to a 2025 report by the Ukrainian think tank Snake Island Institute.
Behind Lutovinov in the embassy reception room stood a Vampire bomber drone built by Skyfall, a leading Ukrainian manufacturer of low-cost drones that now has enough production capacity to export. Takaichi's administration plans to unveil a defense strategy and military procurement plan this year, expected to call for a significant increase in air, sea, and land drones similar to those Kyiv has used to repel Russian attacks.
"We are not the country that would like to just ask. We are the country that is going to provide as well," said Lutovinov. "The technology of Japan and experience of Ukraine, if we can put them together, it would be a high-class product."
