Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, becoming the first Japanese leader to visit an active war zone since the second world war.
Kishida’s visit came as Chinese leader Xi Jinping held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on his first visit to Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During his visit, Kishida pledged continuing support to Ukraine and announced to provide US$30 million to NATO trust funds to help Ukraine acquire non-lethal equipment. Tokyo also reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine’s post-war recovery and reconstruction. Tokyo also pledged a further US$470 million in aid for Ukraine’s energy grid.
Kishida also extended an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate virtually in the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima.
The Japanese prime minister also toured Bucha, a town where Ukrainian authorities have said more than 400 civilians were killed during the war. “The world was astonished to see innocent civilians in Bucha killed one year ago. I really feel great anger at the atrocity upon visiting that very place here,” Kishida said, after observing a moment of silence.
Kishida and Zelenskyy “condemned in the strongest possible terms the illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked aggression by Russia against Ukraine,” according to a joint statement.
PM Kishida: I visited Kyiv in #Ukraine and held a summit meeting with President Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa). (March 21) pic.twitter.com/IffImHz6Zi
— PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) March 22, 2023
President Zelenskyy said he is deeply grateful that Kishida visited Kyiv at a time when Japan serves as the G7 chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Zelenskyy called Kishida a “powerful defender of the international order” and “a longtime friend of Ukraine”.
“I am pleased to welcome to Kyiv Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida — a truly powerful defender of the international order and a longtime friend of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president said on social media.
