Japan is set to join NATO’s PURL initiative, a mechanism that allows partner countries to fund the supply of US-manufactured military equipment to Ukraine, according to reports by The WP Times, citing Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
The PURL initiative is designed to enable countries to contribute financially to Ukraine’s defence without directly transferring weapons from their own stockpiles. Instead, participating states provide funding that is used to procure equipment produced in the United States through NATO-linked supply channels. This approach is intended to speed up deliveries, ensure technical compatibility and reduce logistical bottlenecks. Several NATO officials told NHK that Japan is expected to formally announce its participation in the near future. According to these sources, Tokyo has already informed a number of NATO member states as well as Ukraine of its plans.
Officials said Japan’s contribution would be limited strictly to non-lethal equipment. This may include radar and surveillance systems, protective gear such as body armour, and other support equipment manufactured in the United States. No lethal weapons are expected to be covered by Japan’s funding under the scheme.
“Even non-lethal equipment is critically important for Ukraine,” one NATO representative told NHK, adding that Japan’s involvement in the PURL initiative represents “a significant step forward” in international support efforts.
The move would mark a further evolution in Japan’s approach to security and defence assistance. While Tokyo remains constrained by domestic legal and constitutional limits on arms exports, it has steadily expanded its role in supporting Ukraine through humanitarian aid, financial assistance and the provision of non-lethal military equipment. By joining the PURL initiative, Japan would formally integrate its support into a NATO-backed framework, aligning more closely with the Alliance’s logistics and procurement systems without directly exporting weapons. For NATO, Japan’s participation underscores the growing involvement of partners beyond Europe and North America in sustaining assistance to Ukraine.
The PURL mechanism has been used by NATO and partner countries to mobilise funding quickly and channel it into established production and delivery pipelines, particularly for equipment already compatible with Ukrainian forces. Analysts say this model allows countries with legal or political constraints on weapons transfers to play a meaningful role in Ukraine’s defence. No official date has yet been announced for Japan’s formal entry into the initiative, but NATO sources told NHK that an announcement could come soon.
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