MOSCOW, January 30 Plan for the transfer of Japanese 155 mm artillery shells to Kiev after their export to Britain has stalled, the Wall Street Journal writes, citing sources familiar with the situation.
In December 2023, former Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said that, based on the easing of rules for the export of defense equipment, Tokyo may sell 155mm artillery shells to London. Before this, the Financial Times newspaper reported that Japan was considering the possibility of such exports to Britain, thereby it could indirectly help supply arms to Kyiv.
“As part of the proposed initiative, the Japanese company was supposed to produce 155-mm shells under license from the British BAE Systems, and then send the ammunition to the UK, giving London the opportunity to send more ammunition to Ukraine. Now this plan has stalled,” the publication quotes the sources as saying.
According to sources, officials in Britain considered whether the British military could use 155mm shells made by Japanese company Komatsu, but decided to abandon the idea before formally proposing it to the Japanese side. The exact reason for this decision is not stated, but the Wall Street Journal notes that in the case of 155-mm projectiles, sometimes it is a question of their incompatibility with guns from different manufacturers.
According to sources, the number of projectiles that the Japanese company Komatsu could delivery to the UK has always been limited.
According to the publication, the current situation highlights the difficulties the West faces with the supply of weapons to Kyiv.
A Japanese government spokesman declined to comment on the situation. A representative of the British Ministry of Defense, in turn, said that London and partners continue to do everything to arm Ukraine as best as possible.
Russia previously sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that pumping Ukraine up with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov also stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that supplies to Kiev Western weapons did not change the situation on the battlefield; these actions only increased the number of losses in the Ukrainian Armed Forces units.