Japan pledges $4.5B more in aid for Ukraine

TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $4.5 billion to Ukraine, including $1 billion in humanitarian aid to help support the war-torn country’s recovery effort in an online summit of leading industrial nations.

Kishida made the announcement late Wednesday in Tokyo while hosting his last Group of Seven summit as this year’s chairperson.

The $1 billion humanitarian and recovery aid includes funding for generators and other power supplies for the Ukrainian people to survive the winter, as well as measures to clear mines planted by Russia, the Foreign Ministry said. The remaining $3.5 billion includes funding for credit guarantees for World Bank loans to Ukraine.

“This is significant support for the recovery of Ukraine and our economy, said Japan stands firmly with Ukraine and our people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X. “We will keep working together to bring our common victory closer.”

Japan has donated more than $7 billion to Ukraine since the war started, mostly for humanitarian assistance.

But on Thursday, Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky said his country and Japan are discussing a possible Japanese provision of anti-missile defense and anti-drone equipment.

“It’s not a lethal weapon. Actually, it’s a humanitarian assistance,” he said at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. “Because when you have Iranian drones flying over you, and they are very difficult to detect … but if you protect yourself from those drones, this is not a lethal weapon.”

Seiji Kihara, acting secretary general of Kishida’s governing party, said Japan has pacifist policies but the country will continue a dialogue on providing the most helpful support for Ukraine by using Japan’s expertise, including mine clearing.