Japan cancels plan to pick up aid from India

Japan has dropped the plan to send its aircraft to India to pick up humanitarian aid destined for Ukraine, after India denied landing permission to Japan's air force planes. It instead allowed commercial aircraft, keeping sensitivities in mind.

The Japan government on Tuesday informed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of a new plan that does not include India in transporting humanitarian aid supplies to Ukrainian refugees on Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) aircraft, ET has learnt.

Japan will now transfer supplies only from the United Arab Emirates instead of India, according to the new plan.


"The transport will begin in early May, rather than late April as originally planned, and continue until June-end at a pace of one flight per week. Blankets and other supplies will be loaded aboard C2 transport aircraft and flown to Poland and Romania, which have accepted a large number of Ukrainian refugees," according to a Nikkei report. "Japan will send the supplies at the request of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees."

Overflight Request Cleared
Japan will "carry out the mission as a 'humanitarian international aid program' under the law for cooperation in peacekeeping operations. The government originally planned to pick up UN aid supplies aboard the aircraft in India in addition to the UAE," according to Nikkei.

Last week, an external affairs ministry spokesperson stated, "We had received a request from Japan for permission to land in Mumbai to pick up humanitarian supplies from the UNHCR depot for Ukraine and its neighbouring countries. We have conveyed our approval for picking of such supplies from India using commercial aircraft."

India has cleared the overflight request for Japanese SDF aircraft carrying humanitarian cargo for Ukraine. "This was processed and approved as per established norms," according to the ministry.

India has divergences with the West, besides Japan, on addressing the Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has repeatedly emphasised dialogue and diplomacy. India neither condemned Russia's "special military operations" in Ukraine, nor did it support West-backed resolutions in the UN against Russia.

The Modi government has also publicly differed with the US and Europe on being called out for its limited oil purchases from Russia while Europe continues vaster energy imports from Moscow.