Japan Prime Minister Kishida pays unexpected visit to Ukraine

• Kishida has already left India.
• Kishida’s journey to Ukraine was at Zelenskyy’s invitation.
• It will also be the first visit to Ukraine by an Asian G7 member and the first visit by a US ally in the region.

On the same day that Chinese President Xi Jinping saw his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will make a surprise visit to Ukraine to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Kishida has already left India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is now on his way to Ukraine.

According to NHK, this is the first time a Japanese prime minister has visited a country or territory where fighting is still occurring since World War Two. It will also be the first visit to Ukraine by an Asian G7 member and the first visit by a US ally in the region.

The meetings by Kishida and Xi highlight fundamental splits in northeast Asia on the Ukrainian conflict, with Japan committing substantial aid to Kyiv and China being the lone voice supporting an increasingly isolated Putin – now a worldwide pariah and accused war criminal.

In response to China’s growing assertiveness and global reach, Japan and the US have grown closer in recent years, particularly in terms of regional security and intelligence collaboration.

Japan is also a member of the Quad, an informal security alliance comprised of India, Australia, and the United States.

Kishida’s journey to Ukraine was at Zelenskyy’s invitation, according to a statement posted by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, and he will return to Japan on Thursday.

Kishida will “directly emphasize our solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine” and “resolutely denounce Russia’s actions against Ukraine” during his visit, according to a statement.

Kishida has already expressed strong opposition to Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour, warning last year that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.”

On the one-year anniversary of the invasion, Japan promised $5.5 billion in humanitarian help to Ukraine, quadrupling Tokyo’s previous donations.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not just a European matter, but a challenge to the rules and principles of the entire international community,” Kishida said at the time.

Moreover, according to Reuters, during his visit to New Delhi on Monday, Kishida unveiled a new plan to invest $75 billion in the Indo-Pacific, widely seen as a move to strengthen ties with countries in South and Southeast Asia and challenge China’s influence.

Xi meets ‘dear friend’ Putin

The Japanese leader’s scheduled arrival in Ukraine comes on the heels of Xi’s contentious state visit to Russia, his first since the invasion began, with the first day of discussions beginning on Monday.

Despite strong mistrust in Kyiv and the West, Beijing has presented Xi’s visit as a peacemaking mission.

The Chinese leader’s participation in Moscow is seen as a resounding endorsement for Putin at a time when his military is running low on supplies and Russia’s economy is failing as a result of Western sanctions.

Throughout the invasion, China has supported Kremlin rhetoric blaming NATO for the conflict, failed to condemn the invasion, and increased its purchases of Russian fuel dramatically.

India is the only other Asian country to take a similar attitude, refusing to openly denounce Russia’s invasion while continuing to buy Russian oil.

In an apparent rebuke, Modi informed Putin last September that it was not the time for war, despite the fact that India had maintained key connections with Russia.

During his Monday visit, Xi lauded Putin and referred to him as a “dear friend.” They discussed the Ukraine conflict, with additional discussions slated for Tuesday.

According to “those familiar with the subject,” Xi planned to meet with Zelenskyy after his trip to Moscow last week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

That would be the first meeting between the two presidents since Russia launched its invasion.

Ukrainian, Chinese, and US officials all declined to confirm the potential virtual meeting.

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