Japan was not among the nations Ukraine thanked in a social media video highlighting support it has received in its fight against Russia, with Japan's top diplomat saying Tuesday the omission was a result of Tokyo not providing lethal weapons.
"We received an explanation from the Ukrainian side that the gratitude shown was in the context of thanking countries for providing weapons assistance," Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference, adding that the video was a message from a Ukrainian military leader.
"Ukraine expressed gratitude again to us for offering humanitarian and financial assistance as well as defense equipment," Hayashi added.
The issue was first brought up by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at a separate news conference earlier in the day, in which he said that the government was asking the Ukrainian government to clarify the reason behind the omission.
Japan has not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, although it has decided to send defense equipment including bulletproof vests and clothing that protects against chemical weapons.
The 34-second video posted to Twitter by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday showed a woman in a military outfit with a voiceover that said, "Ukraine is thankful for your support in this hard time," while listing 31 countries, including the United States, Britain, Turkey and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Other nations that have given only nonlethal items to Ukraine, such as South Korea, were also not on the list.
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi: “I am sincerely grateful to our partners for the assistance and unwavering support in these hard times.”
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) April 25, 2022
Our Friendship is our Victory.#StandWithUkraine️ 🇺🇦#StandUpForUkraine pic.twitter.com/9nQndF2cwb
The decision to omit Japan came after the Ukrainian government on Sunday apologized for another Twitter video that juxtaposed a picture of the late Japanese Emperor Hirohito next to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini when referencing the Axis powers' promotion of Nazism and fascism in World War II.
Japan was allied with Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy in the war, but the former emperor's inclusion provoked a strong reaction in Japan.
In addition to bulletproof vests and military-grade clothing, Japan has said it will provide Ukraine with defense equipment such as helmets, protective masks and commercial drones.
But the government has said it has no plan to provide lethal weapons due to its three principles on the transfer of defense equipment that ban defense supply exports to a country that is "party to a conflict" under the country's post-World War II pacifist Constitution.
Matsuno also said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior government officials have already thanked Japan for its contributions.
Related coverage:
Ukraine apologizes for juxtaposing Japan emperor to Hitler in video
Japan to offer protective masks, clothing, drones to Ukraine
Support information sent to Ukrainian evacuees in Japan
