Unannounced visit: Japanese Prime Minister to visit Kyiv today

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left India for Ukraine on an unannounced visit, Japan’s NHK reports.

He is expected to hold high-level talks during the day and “express to President Zelensky his respect for the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people defending their homeland under his leadership, as well as the solidarity and unwavering support of Japan and the G7,” he was quoted as saying. edition Japanese diplomacy press release.

Fumio Kishida has so far been the only head of government or state of the G-7 of the world’s most industrialized countries who has not been to Kyiv since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. He repeatedly received invitations to visit the Ukrainian capital. In February the President of the United States Joe Biden also made an unannounced visit to Kyiv.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK explained that its film crew in Poland filmed a car with the Japanese prime minister in the city of Przemysl, where foreign dignitaries often take trains to Ukraine:

“The cortege drove into Przemysl station and parked in front of an interchange used by international rail trains bound for Ukraine. Prime Minister Kishida got out and got into the first car of the train.”

According to NHK, the train departed at 01:30 local time (02:30 Greek time). Mr Kishida has previously said a trip to Kyiv is “under consideration”. Japanese government sources told the media that there are concerns about his safety and the complex measures required.

Fumio Kishida is the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit a war zone since the end of World War II. His visit takes place at a time when President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping is in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, focusing on the war in Ukraine.

Japan, having teamed up with Western countries, imposed economic sanctions against Moscow and offered assistance to Kyiv. In February, a new €5.1 billion aid package was announced for Ukraine. Ukraine also received defense equipment from Japan and an offer to accept refugees.

However, Tokyo does not send military aid, as the country’s constitution, adopted after the defeat of the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II, obliges Japan to devote its military capabilities only to national defense, writes CNN Greece.

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