Japan buys over $14 million in military equipment for Ukraine under NATO weapons program
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Japan has joined NATO's initiative to purchase U.S.-made military equipment for Ukraine, contributing around $14.7 million to the program, Tokyo's Foreign Ministry announced on May 29.
Signed by the U.S. and NATO in July, the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) agreement lays out a mechanism for NATO member states and partners to purchase high-priority equipment for Ukraine.
Japan has contributed approximately $14.7 million to the PURL program, the country's Foreign Ministry reported. Japan's contributions to PURL are limited to non-lethal aid.
"Japan will continue to support to Ukraine in order to achieve a just and lasting peace and intends to further strengthen Japan-NATO cooperation," the ministry's statement read.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, expressed gratitude for Japan's participation in the initiative in a post on social media.
"Japan's principled and consistent support sends a powerful message of solidarity," he wrote. "We highly value Japan's contribution to strengthening Ukraine's resilience and bringing a comprehensive and lasting peace closer."
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Japan's confirmation of its participation in the PURL program comes after media reports in February that Tokyo planned to commit funds to the initiative. The Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing unnamed NATO officials, said Japan's financial contribution would be restricted to non-lethal equipment.
Although Japan's post-World War II constitution restricts the provision of lethal military aid to foreign countries, Tokyo remains one of Ukraine's top supporters, with around $15 billion worth of total aid (mostly financial and humanitarian) sent and another $3.5 billion committed, according to a December 2025 report by OSW.
U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte signed the PURL agreement in July 2025, after months of frozen U.S. aid to Ukraine under the new administration. The first shipment of arms for Ukraine purchased under PURL arrived in September 2025.
Ukraine continues to suffer a critical air defense shortage, exacerbated by intensifying Russian aerial attacks — including a heavy ballistic missile assault on Kyiv on May 24 that targeted the city's administrative and cultural center.
Following the attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to the White House appealing to Trump for additional air defense support.
"The current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face. I ask for your help in protecting Ukraine's skies from Russian missiles," he wrote.
