As Japan pledges more aid for Ukraine, is Tokyo turning into ‘ATM’ for a war-torn nation?

More Japanese say money earmarked for Ukraine would be better spent on the elderly, recovery from the January 1 earthquake and to reduce national debt

World Bank estimates that Ukraine’s recovery will cost US$411 billion over the next decade – meaning Tokyo’s US$105 million will be a fraction of what is required

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa attend a press conference in a bomb shelter in Kyiv on January 7. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 16 Feb 2024Updated: 8:10am, 16 Feb 2024

Japan will pledge 15.8 billion yen (US$105 million) when it unveils a raft of plans on Monday to help rebuild Ukraine, with a conference in Tokyo to encourage other countries to help the war-battered nation.

However, in an echo of growing opposition to more help for Kyiv that is reflected across the US and parts of Europe, more Japanese are protesting that the money earmarked for Ukraine would be better spent on the elderly, the survivors of last month’s earthquake in central Japan and even to reduce the national debt.

The sense among some, analysts say, is that Ukraine is geographically distant from Japan and that the problem should be handled by European nations.

Elderly people walk in Tokyo. More Japanese are protesting that the money earmarked for Ukraine would be better spent on the elderly. Photo: Xinhua

At least 20 collaborative agreements are expected to come out of the conference, including a 10 billion yen plan for a telemedicine network across the country as soon as peace can be assured.

Japan has identified seven priority areas of help, including the energy sector, improvements in humanitarian conditions and investment in agriculture development.

Heavy engineering firm IHI – one of around 50 private sector companies set to attend the conference – plans to offer temporary bridges that are easy to assemble and will replace spans knocked out in the fighting. The company also plans to establish a manufacturing facility in neighbouring Romania and transport the components to Ukraine for final assembly.

Japan is also helping to fund the creation of a new department at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute to teach the safe location and removal of landmines.