Japanese Prime Minister Kishida makes a surprise visit to Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News March 22, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Kyiv on an unannounced visit on March 21, 2023. This was the first time that a Japanese leader has visited the war-torn country since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in 2022.

Kishida arrived in met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who gave him a tour of the country’s capital Kyiv. The two leaders also a tribute to those killed in the attack on Bucha, a town outside Kyiv that has become a memorial site for world leaders to pay tribute and condemn the Russian military’s attack against civilian targets.

Zelenskyy said, “I am pleased to welcome to Kyiv Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida”. He described the Japanese leader as “a truly powerful defender of the international order and a longtime friend of Ukraine.”

Japan is set to host the G7 meeting in Hiroshima in May 2023. Prime Minister Kishida invited President Zelenskyy to join the conference and address the world leaders, to which Zelenskyy accepted the invitation and said that he would participate in the G7 summit via video link. “I accepted the prime minister’s invitation and will participate in the G7 summit in Hiroshima in an online format,” Zelenskyy said during a joint media briefing.

During the meeting, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of stepping up global leadership to protect the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and international security in general.

Zelenskyy stated, “The ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the international order has provoked threats and risks that the world has not witnessed in decades. And 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.”

^{Ukrainian delegation led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy holding talks with the Japanese delegation led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 21, 2023. (Image Credit: The Presidential Office of Ukraine)}

The Ukrainian president also thanked Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for significantly supporting Ukraine in security, economic, political, sanctions, and humanitarian aspects.

Zelenskyy added that “Japan has applied 18 packages of sanctions against Russian aggression, and new sanction packages should continue this path of restoring global security and reducing the potential of Russian terror. Sanctions must be faster than Russia’s ability to adapt to them”.

Prime Minister Kishida’s surprise visit to Kyiv managed to take away some spotlight from China’s President Xi Jinping’s highly anticipated visit to Moscow. Xi is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibilities of implementing China’s proposed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.

Japanese prime minister was the only G7 leader who had not visited Ukraine since the start of the war. Zelenskyy asked Kishida for a visit when they talked by phone in January. Kishida administration has been pressured by both local political factions to openly support Ukraine for its war efforts against Russia. After visiting Kyiv, Kishida became the first Japanese leader to enter a war zone since the end of World War II.

*^{Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 21, 2023. (Image Credit: The Presidential Office of Ukraine)}*

Japanese administration has increased its international diplomatic activities as it prepares for hosting the G7 summit. Before arriving in Kyiv, Kishida visited India for two days where he met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at a landmark summit in Tokyo on March 16, 2023, and invited him to attend the G7 summit.

Japan has kept a pacifist approach toward wars and conflicts since the end of World War II, however, in recent times with the changing world dynamics, Japan has increased its focus on making security alliances as well as modernizing its military. Japan plans to increase its military budget.