TOKYO, January 27. /TASS/. A delegate of the upper chamber of the Japanese Parliament, member of the opposition Japan Innovation Party Muneo Suzuki thinks that delivering tanks to Ukraine will make the conflict drag on and cause more victims, including civilians.

"Germany made a decision to give Ukraine 14 Leopard 2 [tanks]. President Joe Biden announced that the United States would also supply M1 Abrams tanks. It is possible to say one thing for sure that the war will be prolonged and the number of victims will grow due to the West providing such weapons with the victims being mainly children, women and elderly people," he wrote on his blog on Friday.

The lawmaker yet again called on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other world leaders to make an effort to peacefully settle the situation around Ukraine. He cited the example of Japan which, in his opinion, capitulated too late in the Second World War. "Had Japan capitulated six months earlier, neither the bombing of Tokyo, nor the battle of Okinawa or, moreover, the nuclear bombardments of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would have happened," he concluded.

On Wednesday, Washington announced its plans to supply Kiev with 31 M1 Abrams ranks. The German government confirmed that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany’s military stockpiles to Ukraine and issue permits to other countries for their re-export. On Wednesday, the defense ministries of Norway and Slovakia announced their plans to provide tanks to Kiev. Earlier, the UK, Poland and France said they would send their tanks to Ukraine.