Japan to send Patriot missiles to US which may aid Ukraine

Japan has announced its intention to send Patriot air defence missiles to the United States, marking a significant shift in its arms export policies. The White House has expressed its approval of this move, which could potentially enable the US to dispatch its own stockpile of missiles to Ukraine.

Ukraine has been in desperate need of ammunition in its defence against Russia's invasion, and Western powers have been struggling to meet this demand. Patriot missiles, which are among the most advanced weapons supplied by the US to Ukraine, could be replenished by Japan's contribution. Previously, Japan's policies only permitted the export of components of licensed equipment to the country where the manufacturing licence originated. However, under the new rules, Japan can now export finished goods.

Following the announcement of this policy change, Japan's foreign ministry stated that it would ship Patriot missiles to the US to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance. It was also clarified that these missiles could only be sent to the US, and any further distribution to a third country would require Japan's approval. Despite these changes, Japan maintains its ban on the export of weapons to countries currently engaged in warfare.