Japan wants to relax its ban on exporting weapons

Japan's ruling coalition has held the first round of talks on reviewing the country's strict weapons export rules. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is pushing for the rules to be eased, but Komeito has resisted the proposed changes. The talks were unable to break the deadlock, with the LDP and Komeito agreeing to hold a second meeting after the country's Golden Week holidays. In the year since the outbreak of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, Japan has supplied protective equipment such as bulletproof vests and helmets to Ukraine, provided $6 billion in financial aid, and imposed sanctions on Russia. However, the Japanese Constitution has prevented the country from sending weapons and ammunition, as many Western nations have. During a surprise visit to Kiev last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed "unwavering solidarity" with Ukraine.