Overview

• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Japan will consider what it can do within its laws and capabilities to support potential guarantees for Ukraine.
• He cautioned that Tokyo cannot yet specify actions, citing constitutional limits that restrict the use of force to self-defence.
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Japan is among about 30 countries working on possible guarantees intended to deter future Russian aggression.
• Later on Aug 19, Ishiba joined an online multinational meeting on the Ukraine war hosted by Britain, France and Germany, the Japanese government said.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is already drafting specific elements of the guarantees following talks in Washington, as Ishiba praised President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire and just peace.