Ukraine insists Japan’s pacifist rules permit Patriot missile help

Ukraine hopes to gain support from Japan as it looks to produce Patriot air defence systems under US licence, citing the expertise of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that manufactures the interceptors for the Japanese defence forces, according to an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.“We maintain political dialogue” towards seeking cooperation from Japan, which is one of the few countries granted a licence to build the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, Sergiy Kyslytsya, first deputy head of Ukraine’s Office of the President, said in an interview with Kyodo News on Friday.US President Donald Trump pledged in early July to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot systems, seen as crucial for Kyiv to counter missile attacks amid Russia’s invasion that has entered its fifth year.