TOKYO, February 10. /TASS/. The Japanese government has denied local media reports about Tokyo’s decision to join NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative in order to purchase US-made equipment for Kiev, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.
"We are aware of the reports you mentioned. At present, the claim that such an agreement has been reached between Japan and NATO does not correspond to reality," he noted. At the same time, Kihara emphasized that Japan would continue providing support to Ukraine aimed at rebuilding and strengthening its society and economy.
Earlier, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation reported that Japan was joining NATO’s PURL initiative. The news outlet noted that Japanese funds would be used exclusively to acquire non-lethal equipment, including radar systems and body armor.
The PURL program was established by NATO last summer following the US decision to stop providing free weapons to Kiev. Under the program, Ukraine defines its military needs, EU countries allocate funds, purchase weapons from the US, and transfer them to Ukraine free of charge.