/ world today news/ The intention of the Japanese government to refuse to send only “non-lethal” weapons to the regime in Kiev for the war with Russia, but to switch to the delivery of military equipment used on the battlefield, as well as demining equipment, etc. , forced the Russian leadership to issue a diplomatic warning to official Tokyo, promising severe retaliation.
However, the Japanese rejected the protest against them and promised to tighten anti-Russian sanctions and expand aid to the regime in Kiev. And these are not just words. The Japanese are actively negotiating with the United States to supply 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine through the United States, reports the American magazine The Wall Street Journal. Noting that it is about “replenishment of ammunition for Ukraine’s counter-offensive”.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the US administration expects to start supplying TNT from Japan for the production of 155 mm artillery shells at the US plants that are to be transferred to Ukraine.
As noted in the publication, the United States is seeking to import TNT from Japan “in light of the fact that Washington is being forced to rush arms and ammunition to Ukraine for the counter-offensive.” This overcomes the still existing ban on Japan supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine.
„However, the Allies appear to have found a workaround that includes allowing the sale of TNT in light of the world’s munitions shortage,” emphasizes the agency. “There is a way for the US to buy explosives from Japan’– said one of the sources.
It is reported that the Japanese authorities have already informed the American side of their willingness to sell TNT. It is supposed to be used in the production of projectiles in factories owned by the Pentagon. Apparently, this issue was specifically discussed during the recent visit to Tokyo by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who after a meeting with his Japanese counterpart praised Japan for “the non-lethal military support provided to Ukraine” and said the US would welcome the additional aid.
It remains unclear whether The Wall Street Journal is referring to the supply of TNT to the United States to produce projectiles for Zelensky, or whether Tokyo intends to produce ammunition intended for Ukraine’s armed forces in Japan itself and ship it to Ukraine via American vehicles.
However, the issue will not be limited to TNT deliveries. Through the United States, Japan, under existing law, can supply Ukraine with virtually any military system. In addition, at the end of April, consultations began to review the country’s current restrictions on the supply of weapons abroad.
Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner in the ruling coalition – the centrist Komeito party – participate in them. According to the Yomiuri newspaper, the military lobby in the LDP is proposing to consider providing missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine. In Japan, there were also proposals to supply Ukraine with MLRS MLRS (an American multi-purpose launcher used as a salvo fire system, as well as for launching tactical missiles).
So far, the Russian leadership, in response to such obvious hostile actions by foreign countries actively engaged in a proxy war against Russia, aimed at the exhaustion and dismemberment of our country, is limited to verbal protests and threats, which have already become well known to our enemies.
In this way, the Russian government sent a note to the NATO countries because of the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any shipment containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying arms to Ukraine. The Kremlin said pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West… would have a negative effect. Lavrov also stated that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, “including not only the supply of weapons, but also the training of military personnel … in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and other countries.”
Now this can fully apply to Japan, which supplies weapons to Ukraine and trains specialists for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and receives for treatment Ukrainian soldiers wounded in battles.
Protests and threats from Moscow, however, contrast with the reality, according to which the owners of commercial companies and the heads of the organization seem to be oblivious to Japanese Russophobia and Tokyo’s desire to doom our country to all conceivable and unimaginable misfortunes.
It turns out that in May of this year, Russian grain exports to Japan increased sharply, almost 22 times. Japan’s Ministry of Finance reports that in May 2023, the Land of the Rising Sun increased grain imports from Russia by 2,098.7% compared to the same period in 2022. And fish and seafood imports increased by 14.6%.
I don’t know if it’s appropriate here to draw a parallel with Russia’s participation in the so-called grain deal, about the possibility of stopping which Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the other day. But I think we should not close our eyes to the fact that for the sake of profit, the Russian authorities and businessmen are ready to trade with open enemies of Russia.
It is important to understand that while Tokyo is confident that the Russians are interested in the lucrative trade with Japan, no overtures or threats from Moscow diplomats will be taken seriously. I’m not talking about the notorious “red lines”, the ineffectiveness of drawing them, which the Russian president and commander-in-chief had to admit.
P.S. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno did not respond to a question about the possibility of transferring ammunition to the United States, which could then be sent to Ukraine. “We are aware of such publications, but we are not in a position to answer questions about trade deals of individual companies, including whether or not it is true,” he said in response to a request by reporters for comment on the related article in The Wall Street Journal .
Translation: ES
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