Japan’s prime minister made history when he visited Ukraine at the same time as Xi Jinping smiled with Putin in Moscow.
It has ended up somewhat in the shadow of the two authoritarian leaders’ meetings in Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to Ukraine.
Kishida made history as the first Japanese leader to visit a war zone since World War II.
President Zelenskyy describes Kishida as a strong defender of world order and a good friend of Ukraine.
Japan has a pacifist view, and thus does not support Ukraine with weapons. But the country has contributed over seven billion dollars in humanitarian aid, and accepted 2,000 Ukrainian refugees despite the country’s strict immigration policy.
Unlike China, which has not condemned Russia’s illegal invasion of its neighboring country, Japan has been clear from day one.
Experts believe that Kishida’s visit at the same time as Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia has more significance than showing support for Ukraine.
– What it’s really about here is China. Japan is doing this because of China’s aggressiveness in the region, and Japan is indicating with this that it will fight back, says analyst David Boling at the Eurasia Group to Al Jazeera.
He believes that one now sees a more offensive Japan than 20 years ago, and that the country will no longer sit on the sidelines in the “game of geopolitics”.
Japan has territorial disputes with both China and Russia, Telegraph commentator Francis Dearnley points out. He refers, among other things, to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands (dispute with China) and the Kuril Islands (dispute with Russia).
China and Russia have also held joint military exercises near Japan’s coast recently.
Kishida also visited Butsha, where Russia carried out massacres last year. He laid flowers at a church and honored the victims.
– I am shocked by the atrocities. On behalf of the Japanese people, I want to express my condolences,” Kishida said, according to Euronews.
Kishida will host the next meeting in G7G7Name of a group of cooperating countries. The group comprises the seven richest democratic industrialized countries in the world: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, Germany and the United States. Source: Great Norwegian Lexicon. , which will take place in Hiroshima in May. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will speak via video.
