Japan’s decision to provide Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine will have “grave consequences” for its ties with Russia, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
Comments from Russia
At a regular press conference, Zakharova said, “It is possible that the transfer of Patriot munitions [by Japan to the US] will go under a well-proven scheme whereby munitions ultimately end up in Ukraine.”
“In connection with this, we would like to warn that if Japanese missiles fall into the hands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, such actions will be viewed as unambiguously hostile toward Russia and will entail the most serious consequences for Japan in the context of bilateral ties,” she warned.
The spokesperson further warned that Japan’s exports of lethal weapons to the US would “have tangible negative consequences for global and regional security.”
She added that the move “primarily serves the interests of Tokyo’s ally, the US” and that Japan was “not only stepping over its own principles, but also largely losing control over the weapons, which Washington can now utilize literally as it wishes.”
Japan weighs allowing Patriot missile transfers to aid Ukraine
— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) December 21, 2023
With U.S. inventories restocked with Japan-made Patriot missiles, Washington could keep equipping Ukraine and others. Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan are currently using Patriot missiles. https://t.co/kNe2hSdx75
Zakharova went on to add that sending military supplies to Ukraine directly or indirectly will “only lead to the prolongation of its agony and further increase the number of innocent victims and atrocities of the Kiev regime,” whose responsibility “will be fully shared by the Japanese government.”
Japan’s Sale
Zakharova’s comments come after Tokyo said last week that it is preparing to ship Patriot air defence missiles to Washington after revising its arms export guidelines, part of Tokyo’s first major overhaul of such export curbs in nine years.
“This holds significant meaning in terms of further strengthening the Japan-US alliance. It will contribute not only to Japan's security but also the peace and stability of the wider Indo-Pacific region,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said about the overhaul.
Another Japanese government official told Reuters anonymously that the missiles would be used to re-stock the US military’s arsenal for the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific. Although Japan’s new export controls still prevent it from shipping weapons to countries that are involved in armed conflict, the weapons system may indirectly end up in Ukraine and support its war with Russia, as it gives the US extra capacity to provide military aid to Kyiv.