Japanese PMs Call for Patriot Missile Deliveries to Ukraine

Japanese lawmakers have urged the government to provide Ukraine with Patriot air-defense missiles amid ongoing Russian attacks.

Shigefumi Matsuzawa, a member of the House of Councillors, Japan’s upper house of parliament, made the call.

Matsuzawa said he raised the issue with Japan’s Defense Minister, Shinjirō Koizumi, during a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense.

The lawmaker stressed that Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia’s indiscriminate missile attacks but is facing a shortage of interceptor missiles, resulting in significant losses.

He noted that Japan’s recent easing of defense export regulations now makes it possible to consider such deliveries.

“There are still a few hurdles to clear before Patriot missiles can be delivered to Ukraine, but none of them are impossible to overcome,” Matsuzawa said.

He called on Japan’s defense authorities to demonstrate political leadership and approve the transfer in line with the country’s policy of “proactive pacifism.”

“President Zelensky is seeking Patriot missiles. Now is the time for Japan to take meaningful, proactive action. Minister Koizumi, I urge you to demonstrate leadership through proactive pacifism. What is needed is a political decision,” Matsuzawa wrote on X.

Japan is one of the countries licensed to manufacture PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot missile system, which are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a key company in the global supply chain for Patriot missile components, carries out production of the interceptor missiles.

In addition to meeting its own requirements for Patriot missiles, Japan has also exported missiles to the United States. In November 2025, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced the completion of deliveries of Japan-made PAC-3 missiles to the United States. These missiles were supplied under Tokyo’s revised defense-export rules, which allow the transfer of certain defense equipment produced under foreign licenses.

Japan currently fields 24 Patriot batteries, with around 120 launchers in total. These are organized into six air-defense units tasked with protecting the country’s most strategically important regions.

Previously, Yurii Lutovinov, Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan, stated that Tokyo could help fund the development of a domestic Ukrainian air-defense system, helping Kyiv reduce its dependence on the U.S.-supplied Patriot missile systems.