WSJ: Japan is in talks to supply artillery shells to the US — for them to be transferred to Ukraine

Japan is negotiating the supply of artillery shells to the United States to replenish supplies for Ukraineʼs counteroffensive.

This was reported by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) with reference to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The countries have already allegedly reached agreements on the supply of hundreds of thousands of 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine through supplies to the United States. It is not known how many shells Japan can supply and when, negotiations with the United States are still ongoing. According to Pentagon officials, Ukrainian troops use more than 90 000 155 mm shells per month.

Japan is therefore considering supplying 155mm artillery shells to the US under a 2016 agreement that allows the two countries to exchange ammunition.

The US has sent more than two million 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. States have taken shells from their stocks, they are looking for ways to support Ukraine without harming their own combat readiness.

• Since the beginning of the invasion, Japan has provided Ukraine with only non-lethal aid: bulletproof vests, helmets, etc. After the defeat in World War II, Japan abandoned the use of military force to resolve international disputes. In the 1960s, the government approved arms export restrictions and banned the transfer of lethal weapons abroad. Separately, the law restricts the export of equipment used by Japanʼs armed forces.