According to Japan's Kyodo News, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the achievements in Japanese diplomacy on March 3. He asked Ukrainian diplomats to make greater efforts to strengthen relations with Japan further.
On that day, Zelenskyy attended a meeting in Kyiv of Ukraine's ambassadors to various countries. In his speech, he expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "There have been significant political changes in Japan. We had high expectations, but the results so far are not as good." However, he did not disclose any specific outcomes he hopes to achieve in his diplomatic relations with Japan.
Zelensky said, "We are grateful for Japan's support, but the relationship has not reached the level we expected. It must be improved, and we need to propose a plan on how to achieve this."
The Japanese government has previously lifted restrictions on the export of lethal weapons. Although this move has sparked condemnation from many parties, Zellenskyi is likely to expect Japan to provide weapons to Ukraine in the future. The report also states that the Japanese government “principally” does not allow the export of weapons to countries involved in conflicts.
In an interview with Kyodo News in February this year, Zelenskyy said that he hopes Japan will provide anti-aircraft weapons, such as the American-made Patriot missile system, which is manufactured in Japan under U.S. company authorization.
In July, U.S. President Trump said that he would authorize Ukraine to produce 'Patriot' air defense systems. However, shortly after, he changed his statement, saying that he had not agreed to grant such authorization yet.
