MOSCOW (Reuters) – A transfer by Japan to supply Patriot air defence techniques to Ukraine can have “grave penalties” for Russia-Japan ties, Russian overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Wednesday.
Relations between Moscow and Tokyo, already troublesome, have deteriorated sharply since Russia despatched tens of 1000’s of troops into Ukraine in Feb. 2022. Japan has joined its Western allies in imposing sweeping financial sanctions on Russia.
Final week, Japan mentioned it could put together to ship Patriot air defence missiles to the USA after revising its arms export tips, in Tokyo’s first main overhaul of such export curbs in 9 years.
Though Japan’s new export controls nonetheless stop it from transport weapons to nations which are at conflict, it might not directly profit Ukraine in its conflict with Russia because it provides the USA further capability to supply navy support to Kyiv.
“The Japanese facet loses management over the weapons with which Washington can now do no matter it needs,” Zakharova instructed a weekly briefing. “It can’t be dominated out that beneath an already examined scheme Patriot missiles will find yourself in Ukraine.”
Such a situation can be “interpreted as unambigously hostile actions in opposition to Russia and can result in grave penalties for Japan within the context of bilateral relations”, she mentioned.
Earlier this month, Japan and South Korea each scrambled jets to watch joint flights by Chinese language and Russian bombers and fighters close to their territories.
Russia and Japan have but to conclude a treaty formally ending World Warfare Two hostilities because of an outdated territorial dispute involving a series of Pacific islands recognized in Japan because the Northern Territories and in Russia because the Southern Kuriles.
Even earlier than the Ukraine battle, Tokyo had complained about elevated Russian navy deployments on the islands, which the Soviet Union seized from Japan on the finish of World Warfare Two.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Enhancing by Gareth Jones)
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