Japan to consider role in security guarantees provided to Ukraine: Ishiba

TOKYO — Japan will consider what role it will play in providing security guarantees to Ukraine by assessing its legal and capability constraints, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday, as U.S.-led talks to end Russia's war on its neighbor continue.

Ishiba made the remark after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a U.S. television network that Japan is among some 30 nations that have been collaborating on ways to potentially provide security guarantees to Ukraine to deter any future Russian aggression.

"We will play our role appropriately by considering what we can and should do within our legal framework and capabilities," Ishiba told reporters at his office.

"At this point, we cannot say specifically what we are going to do," he said.

Japan's war-renouncing Constitution only permits the use of force for its own self-defense, putting restrictions on what the country can do overseas. Its Self-Defense Forces have engaged in peacekeeping and anti-piracy missions abroad.

Ishiba praised U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine by holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as European leaders who threw support behind him on Monday.

Trump wants to have a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"What is important is to achieve an early cease-fire and a just peace," Ishiba said, underscoring the need to stop innocent Ukrainian and Russian people from falling victim to the war.

Later Tuesday, Ishiba joined an online multinational meeting on the Ukraine war hosted by Britain, France and Germany, the Japanese government said.

The government quoted him as saying during the virtual gathering that it is vital to end the current situation in which innocent people and precious lives are being lost as soon as possible and to achieve two goals -- an early cease-fire and a just and lasting peace.

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