Ukraine war: Japan says India refused permission for air force plane to collect aid

A lawmaker said New Delhi had agreed to allow the flight to pick up relief items stockpiled by a UN agency, but the government suddenly withdrew its consent

India, which has traditionally maintained close military ties with Russia, has refrained from condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine

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People march in Japan’s Nagoya to protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. File photo: Kyodo

Published: 3:58pm, 21 Apr 2022

India has denied authorising the entry of a Japanese transport plane to collect aid supplies for Ukrainian refugees, a lawmaker said on Thursday, derailing Tokyo’s plan for the flight later this month.

Under the original schedule, a C-2 transport plane of the Air Self-Defence Force was supposed to pick up relief items such as blankets stockpiled by a UN agency in India and the United Arab Emirates, and transport them to Poland and Romania, both of which border Ukraine and have welcomed refugees from the war-torn country.

India, which has traditionally maintained close military ties with Russia, has refrained from condemning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24.

A Japanese government official explained at a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) meeting that India had agreed at a working level to allow the transport plane to land, but it suddenly withdrew its consent on Wednesday, according to the lawmaker.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet was slated to formally approve on Friday the plan to send the aircraft, possibly in late April, but the flight will be put off following India’s withdrawal of consent, said the ruling party lawmaker who took part in the meeting.