Ukraine hopes Japan to back Patriot system production
Photo: First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Serhii Kyslytsya (Getty Images)
Ukraine hopes to secure Japan's support in establishing domestic production of Patriot air defense systems under a US license, First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Serhii Kyslytsya said in an interview with Kyodo News.
"We maintain political dialogue toward seeking cooperation from Japan, which is one of the few countries granted a license to build the Patriot surface-to-air missile system," Kyslytsya said.
According to him, Patriot systems are designed exclusively for defensive purposes. Therefore, he believes Japan's pacifist Constitution should not pose any legal obstacles to such cooperation.
At the same time, the deputy head of the Presidential Office declined to comment on whether Ukraine is holding talks with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the primary licensed manufacturer of Patriot systems in Japan.
It is worth recalling that in May, Japan announced for the first time that it had allocated funding through NATO's PURL mechanism to support Ukraine. Tokyo committed nearly $14.7 million for the procurement of non-lethal equipment.
