Topline
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv on a surprise visit on Tuesday where he is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, an important diplomatic gesture that comes just a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow and met Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Key Facts
The trip was announced by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in a statement which said Kishida intends to express his “respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people standing up to defend their homeland” during his meeting with Zelensky.
As the chair of the G7 group of nations, the Japanese prime minister also intends to express the group’s “solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine,” the statement added.
The statement also notes that Kishida will “resolutely reject” Russian aggression and its efforts to unilaterally change the status quo by force.
Japanese news agency Kyodo News noted that it was rare for a Japanese leader to make an unannounced visit to a foreign country, and officials in Tokyo previously indicated a trip to Kyiv would be challenging for security reasons.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed Kishida boarding a train to Kyiv from Przemysl, Poland at around 1.30 am local time.
News Peg
On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first trip to Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, and held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin signaling closer ties between the two countries as tension continued to grow between Beijing and Washington. While Xi has attempted to present himself as a neutral arbiter in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Chinese leader reiterated many of Putin’s concerns about western hegemony and bullying in an editorial published on Russian state media. Along with the U.S. and its western allies, Tokyo has also seen its relationship with Beijing and Moscow deteriorate over the past year. Aside from the invasion of Ukraine, Japan has expressed alarm about joint military exercises conducted by Russia and China—two countries it has territorial disputes with.
Key Background
Kishida’s visit to Kyiv comes just a day after he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and less than a week after meeting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yoel in Tokyo. After meeting Modi on Monday, Kishida announced a new Indo-Pacific initiative that aims to counter China’s influence in the region. Both Japan and India are members of Quad, an Indo-Pacific security partnership along with the U.S. and Australia that Beijing has derisively referred to as “Asian NATO.” Last week’s meeting between Kishida and Yoon was seen as an important breakthrough in the restoration of friendly ties between the two U.S. allies in East Asia. Both countries had previously been locked in a trade war over Seoul’s demand that Tokyo pay reparations for its actions during World War 2. However, increasing tensions with China and a nuclear armed North Korea appear to have played a key role in bringing the two countries closer.
Further Reading
Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida heading to Ukraine to hold summit (NHK World)
Japan PM Kishida visits Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy (Kyodo News)