Japan plans to provide bullet-proof vests and other relief goods to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the Eastern European nation, the top government spokesman said Friday.
The goods to be delivered by the Self-Defense Forces and through other channels will also include winter clothes, helmets, tents, food items and power generators, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, as Russia escalates its attack on Ukraine despite international condemnation.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno attends a press conference at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on March 4, 2022. (Kyodo)
The provision of such non-lethal items comes at the request of Ukraine and falls within the bounds of Japan’s pacifist Constitution, Matsuno said. The timing for delivery has not been worked out.
The United States and European nations are moving to provide weapons to Ukraine to help bolster its defenses against Russia’s aggression.
“The international community is united in providing unprecedented assistance to Ukraine as we are in a situation where (Russia’s military attack) is undermining the peace and stability of the world,” he told a press briefing.
Japan has also pledged humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and plans to accept people fleeing the conflict-hit nation.
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