By KYIV. Dec 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Japan has already provided Ukraine with $1.1 billion in financial, humanitarian and military assistance, and intends to allocate another $500 million, Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda has said.
"And when it comes to the assistance, we have already provided $1.1 billion and we assume going to provide another $500,000,000 assistance. And still we are considering other packages of assistance," the ambassador said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The ambassador said that from the first days of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Japan began to provide financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.
Regarding military assistance, he said that by law, Japan cannot directly provide weapons, but the Japanese government for the first time decided to provide non-lethal equipment, including drones, helmets, body armor, winter clothing, and first aid kits and rations.
"So we continue to expand the list. And currently we are in a discussion with Ukrainian counterparts about the possibility of providing dual purpose technologies," the ambassador said.
Matsuda also said Japan supports Ukraine through diplomatic efforts.
"We are reaching out to those countries that have not yet decided their position toward this war or those countries which still maintain neutrality. Those are the targets for our diplomatic approach. So, we try to convince them to support Ukraine or participate in international sanctions regimes," he said.
