Russia warns of severe relations hit if Patriots reach Ukraine

- "If the Patriots are delivered to Ukraine, it will have dire consequences for Russian-Japanese relations, and Russia will take decisive steps," announced Nikolai Nozdriev, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Japan.

Many reports by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. These reports are part of the information war led by the Russian Federation.

In an interview for Ria Novosti, the head of the diplomatic mission noted that the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has embarked on remilitarizing the country and strengthening retaliatory sentiments within society.

- "This delineates the course of action across various domains, including the liberalization of arms export. The objective was to establish the most favourable conditions for military-technical cooperation with foreign countries, including the transfer of military equipment. The Kishida administration aims to proceed with further actions as swiftly as possible and achieve the outcomes that their main ally, the United States, expects of Japan," said Nozdriev.

The ambassador also mentioned that there is urgency in decisions regarding the delivery of Patriot systems.

- "As a result, we will meticulously ensure that the delivered Patriots do not reach Ukraine. However, should this occur, it will severely impact the relations between Russia and Japan," the head of the diplomatic mission emphasized and added that Russia will implement retaliatory steps.

He also observed that, at present, there's no need to discuss specific measures, but preparations are in progress for them, should the situation require a response. - "The fact that we're hypothetically considering such a scenario is a standard aspect of any foreign policy and defensive planning," Nozdriew remarked.

The regulations pertaining to arms export were eased in Japan towards the end of last year, allowing for the transfer not just of licensed components but also complete defense systems, both to the licensing country and to third countries specified by it.

However, these cannot be dispatched to countries engaged in military conflicts. This means Japan will not directly send Patriot systems to Ukraine, but the United States might.

Source: Ria Novosti