Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was heading to Kyiv early Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that coincide with the Chinese language chief’s go to to Moscow.
Kishida will “present respect to the braveness and persistence of the Ukrainian people who find themselves standing as much as defend their homeland underneath President Zelensky’s management, and present solidarity and unwavering assist for Ukraine as head of Japan and chairman of G-7,” throughout his go to to Ukraine, the Japanese International Ministry mentioned in asserting his journey to Kyiv.
On the talks, Kishida will present his “absolute rejection to Russia’s one-sided change to the established order by invasion and power, and to affirm his dedication to defend the rules-based worldwide order,” the ministry’s assertion mentioned.
Chinese language chief Xi Jinping, in the meantime, is in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly welcomed Xi to the Kremlin on a go to each nations describe as a possibility to deepen their “no-limits friendship.”
Japan’s public tv NHK confirmed Kishida driving a prepare from Poland heading to Kyiv. His shock journey to Ukraine comes simply hours after he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Kishida, who’s to chair the Group of Seven summit in Could, is the one G-7 chief who hasn’t visited Ukraine and was underneath stress to take action at residence. U.S. President Joe Biden took an identical route to go to Kyiv final month, simply earlier than the primary anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Attributable to limitations of Japan’s pacifist structure, his journey was organized secretly. Kishida is Japan’s first postwar chief to enter a conflict zone. Kishida, invited by Zelensky in January to go to Kyiv, was additionally requested earlier than his journey to India a couple of rumor of his potential journey on the finish of March, denied it and mentioned nothing concrete has been determined.
Japan has joined the USA and European nations in sanctioning Russia over its invasion and offering humanitarian and financial assist for Ukraine.
Japan was fast to react as a result of it fears the potential influence of a conflict in East Asia, the place China’s army has grown more and more assertive and has escalated tensions round self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Kishida is anticipated to supply persevering with assist for Ukraine when he meets with Zelensky.
Tv footage on NHK confirmed Kishida getting on a prepare from the Polish station of Przemysl close to the border with Ukraine, with a variety of officers.
Attributable to its pacifist ideas, Japan’s assist for Ukraine has additionally been restricted to non-combative army gear reminiscent of helmets, bulletproof vests and drones, and humanitarian provides together with turbines.
Japan has contributed to Ukraine greater than $7 billion, and accepted greater than 2,000 displaced Ukrainians and helped them with housing help and assist for jobs and schooling — a uncommon transfer for a rustic that’s identified for its strict immigration coverage.
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