USA gets Patriot Missiles from Japan, Not Directly to Ukraine
In an unexpected move, Japan plans to gift Patriot air defense missiles to the United States. The White House has confirmed this decision, stating that it will allow the U.S. to replenish its depleted stocks without jeopardizing Japan's security or peace in the Indo-Pacific region. This move will empower the U.S. armed forces to maintain a robust deterrent and response capability in alliance with Japan.
U.S. Aid to Ukraine
The U.S. has been supplying Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems and missiles to aid its defense against Russian aggression. However, reports suggest that the Japanese-made missiles will likely replace those supplied to Ukraine, allowing the U.S. to send its own missiles to Ukraine. Given the U.S.'s significant role as Ukraine's primary defensive ally, this support is crucial. Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, the U.S. under President Joe Biden has provided or pledged billions in military aid to Kiev.
Replenishing U.S. Stocks
The U.S.-Japan deal to exchange Patriot missiles could be a strategic move to bolster U.S. defenses. With U.S. stocks of these missiles dwindling, this exchange ensures continued availability while also strengthening ties with Japan. The freeing up of U.S. missiles could then be dispatched to Ukraine to bolster its defenses against Russian attacks.
Dispute Over Aid Funding
A disagreement between Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Congress is currently hindering the release of additional funding for military aid to Ukraine. The Republicans are demanding stricter asylum policies in return, but the White House has stated that available funds will run out by year's end, making the approval of new funds before 2023 highly unlikely.
Possible Controversy
The transfer of Japanese-made Patriot missiles to the U.S. raises questions about their potential future use in supporting Ukraine's defenses. If Tokyo allows this, it could escalate the U.S.'s direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict and potentially implicate Japan as an indirect contributor.
Additional Insights
- The situation regarding the potential transfer of Patriot air defense missiles from Japan to the USA for further use in supporting Ukraine's defenses is not detailed in available sources.
- The sources mention the U.S.'s transfer of approximately 90 decommissioned Patriot missiles from Israel to Poland for delivery to Ukraine, as well as delays in U.S.-Japan Patriot missile production due to component shortages.
Note for Future Reference
While rewriting this article, it was observed that there was no mention of a potential transfer of Patriot missiles from Japan to the USA or their future use in supporting Ukraine's defenses in the provided sources. To ensure the article's coherence and factual accuracy, this information was not incorporated. Instead, the focus remained on the confirmed transfer of Patriot missiles from Israel to Poland and the delay in U.S.-Japan Patriot missile production due to component shortages.
