On Tuesday, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida met with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pledged his support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion.
On Russia-Ukraine War
Kishida told the Ukranian leader that Japan has “consistently and strongly condemned” Russia for its aggression, including imposing “severe” sanctions on the Vladimir Putin administration.
As the G7 chair this year, Kishida invited Zelensky to participate virtually at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May, as the Ukraine crisis will be among the summit’s top agendas. Kishida said that Japan will use the platform to “uphold the international order based on the rule of law.”
Paid a visit to Ukraine to show firm resolution of G7 as Chair and saw the situation with my own eyes. Having in-depth discussions with President Zelenskyy, I renewed commitment to take the lead in the efforts to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/tuHA9J8GYL
— 岸田文雄 (@kishida230) March 22, 2023
Kishida added that Russia’s occupation of nuclear power plants in Ukraine was an “absolutely unforgivable outrage” and an “unaccaptable menace” to regional peace and security, and pledged support to the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
War Assistance
The Japanese PM announced additional financial assistance of approximately $5.5 billion to support Ukraine. He added that Tokyo “will steadily implement the assistance,” which totals $7.1 billion, and allocate it to various fields, including electricity, mine clearance, and agriculture.
Moreover, the Asian nation will dedicate assistance amounting to $470 million in the energy sector and non-lethal defence equipment assistance amounting to $30 million through the NATO trust fund.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 21, 2023
Japan will send military aid to Ukraine
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in Kyiv that $30 million will be allocated for the supply of non-lethal weapons
Another $470 million will be allocated to unilateral grant aid for restoring Ukraine’s infrastructure
🇯🇵🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/1bbp7Lli19
Zelensky’s Comments
Zelensky said Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and the international order has “provoked threats and risks that the world has not witnessed in decades.”
“We are working with our partners to prevent different nations in different parts of the world from having to suffer the brutal consequences of Russian aggression for decades to come, such as destabilization of international relations, social chaos and even provoked mass starvation,” he stressed.
Xi’s Concurrent Moscow Visit
Kishida’s visit to Ukraine coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia earlier this week, during which he advocated for a “political settlement of the crisis,” rejected the West’s “Cold War mentality,” and argued against the imposition of unilateral sanctions.