Prime Minister of Japan arrived in Kyiv

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv on March 21. It is reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The visit was not announced.

“Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will visit Ukraine on March 21, 2023 for a high-level meeting with President Zelensky in Kyiv,” — says in the message.

Kisida arrived in Ukraine by train from Poland. Before that, the politician was in India, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the frames shown Japanese public television, at the railway station in Kyiv, Kishida is met by the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparov.

On March 22, the Japanese prime minister will travel to Poland, where a summit meeting will take place the next day, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. On March 23, Kishida will return to Japan.

At a meeting with Zelensky, the Japanese Prime Minister intends to express “solidarity with Ukraine and unwavering support for the country.” He will also “strongly condemn” Russia’s special operation in Ukraine and reaffirm Japan’s position of “supporting a world order based on the rule of law,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. During the trip to Warsaw, cooperation between Japan and Poland will be discussed, including on the conflict in Ukraine.

How notes Kyodo, the Japanese prime minister, was the only leader of the G7 who had not visited Ukraine until this day after the outbreak of hostilities. Kisida and Zelensky are expected to discuss the restoration of Ukraine. Japan is chairing the G7 summit this year. The agency writes that with his visit, Kishida decided to show support for Kyiv on the eve of the G7 meeting, which will be held in May this year in Hiroshima.

In February, Kyiv also visited US President Joe Biden. During his visit, he announced the supply of additional weapons to Ukraine for $500 million and announced new sanctions against Russian citizens and companies. Biden’s arrival in Kyiv was also not announced. The White House said it had notified Moscow in advance of the American leader’s trip.