Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kiev on Tuesday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Mr. Kisida will “Convey to President Zelensky his respect for the courage and steadfastness of the Ukrainian people defending their homeland under his command, as well as Japan’s and the G7’s solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine.”which is hosted by the Asian country this year, the ministry said in a statement.
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Fumio Kishida was the only leader of the group not to have been to Kiev since the February 2022 Russian invasion. He was regularly invited to visit Ukraine. In February, US President Joe Biden also made a surprise visit to Kyiv. Japan’s NHK television said its reporters in Poland filmed a vehicle transporting the prime minister to the town of Przemyśl, where foreign officials often boarded trains to Ukraine.
“The convoy entered the Przemyśl station and parked in front of the platform used for international trains to Ukraine. Prime Minister Kisida got off the first carriage of the convoy and sat in the last carriage of the train., he added. According to the channel, the train left at 01:30 (00:30 GMT).
$5.5 billion in aid
Mr Kishida reiterated that the trip was “under study”, with government sources citing concerns over security and logistical challenges to Japanese media. He becomes the first Japanese prime minister to visit a war zone since the end of World War II. His visit comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with the Ukraine conflict at the center of discussions.
Tokyo joined Western sanctions against Russia and offered assistance to Kiev. In February, Japan announced new aid of $5.5 billion (€5.1 billion) to Ukraine. Tokyo also sent him defense equipment and offered to welcome those fleeing the conflict. Japan, however, did not provide military aid, its pacifist constitution obliging it to limit its military capabilities to defensive measures.
Source: Le Figaro
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