Japan plans to provide another $500 mln in assistance to Ukraine - ambassador

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Japan has already provided $1.1 billion in financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine and intends to allocate a further $500 million, Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda said.

"As for assistance, we have already provided $1.1 billion in aid and plan to disburse another $500 million. We are also considering other assistance packages," Matsuda said in an interview with Ukrainian journalists.

Japan began providing financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine from the first days of the crisis, the ambassador said.

When speaking about military assistance, Matsuda said that Japan's law prohibits direct deliveries of weapons from Japan, but the government decided for the first time to supply nonlethal weapons, including drones, helmets, bulletproof vests, winter clothes, as well as first aid kits and ration packs.

"We continue to expand this list. And we are holding negotiations with Ukrainian colleagues on the possibility of supplying dual-use technologies," the ambassador said.

Japan also supports Ukraine through diplomatic efforts, he said.

Furthermore, 60 power generators and more than 83,000 solar-powered lanterns provided by the Japanese government to support Ukraine during the winter period have been delivered to Ukraine, the ambassador said.

"It was the first delivery. I think that we will receive the next batch of generators the following week, and the third one in January," he said.

The Japanese government decided on November 22 to provide Ukraine with generators and solar lanterns as emergency grant aid worth an equivalent of $2.57 million to help Ukraine prepare its energy sector for winter.

The generators and solar lanterns will be sent to Ukraine through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.