Japan’s Fumio Kishida in Kyiv: Other world leaders who made their way to Ukraine

Joe Biden has done it and now so is Japan’s Fumio Kishida. The Japanese leader on Tuesday surprised the world when it was announced that he was making his way to Ukraine to meet President  Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Kishida is making his way to Kyiv after he visited New Delhi and met with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. National broadcaster NHK showed footage of Kishida boarding a train to Kyiv at the Polish border town of Przemysl — from where foreign leaders have often taken the train into Ukraine.

What’s the agenda for Kishida’s visit to Ukraine? According to the Japanese foreign ministry, Kishida will “show respect to the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people who are standing up to defend their homeland under President Zelenskyy’s leadership, and show solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine as head of Japan and chairman of G-7”.

Interestingly, Kishida’s visit to Kyiv comes at a time when China’s Xi Jinping is in Moscow visiting his ‘dear friend’ Vladimir Putin.

The Japanese leader now joins a host of world leaders who have visited Ukraine, as it continues to battle Russia in the war, which has now stretched on for 391 days.

Joe Biden

US president Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on 20 February to meet with President Zelenskyy, a striking gesture of solidarity days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.

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Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital, meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace, honouring the country’s fallen soldiers and meeting with US embassy staff in the war-torn country.

According to Associated Press, in his remarks, President Biden recalled the fears nearly a year ago that Russia’s invasion forces might quickly take the city. However, he asserted, “One year later, Kyiv stands."

The visit came at a crucial moment in the war as the US leader looked to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine.

In Kyiv, Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in US assistance — on top of the more than $50 billion already provided — including shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry.

Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Mario Draghi

French president Emmanuel Macron visited Kyiv with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis in June last year, making it one of the most high-profile visits of EU leaders to the Ukrainian capital since the invasion.

As per Politico, Macron said in comments to reporters in Kyiv, “We’re here, focused, and we’re about to meet President Zelenskyy now to visit a war site where massacres have been committed, and then to lead the conversations that are scheduled with President Zelenskyy.”

The visit occurred as Ukraine aspired to become a member of the EU and asked the West for further military assistance as the country battled in the eastern Donbas region. Additionally, the trip was necessary as questions were being raised about Western unity and resolve at the time.

Ursula von der Leyen

One of the first world leaders to travel to Kyiv in Ukraine when the Russians modified their approach was EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in June 2022. She led a team of 15 policy commissioners who spent the day discussing Ukraine’s financial, business and energy needs, and how to bring the former Soviet state’s legislation into line with EU standards.

Von der Leyen’s visit focused on the future reconstruction of the country after the end of the war, which she said “should be a process that is fully owned by Ukraine”, with the EU standing by to help and contribute to a roadmap “to support Ukraine in pursuing its European path," according to Euractiv.

Justin Trudeau

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau met with Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy in May last year to show Canada’s support for the country and its people.

During his visit, PM Trudeau announced additional military assistance in the form of drone cameras, satellite imagery, small arms, ammunition and funding for landmine clearing operations, and more sanctions on 40 Russian individuals and five entities.

Boris Johnson

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson met President Zelenskyy in a surprise visit in which he pledged new military assistance, including 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems.

“Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century,″ Johnson had said in a statement, as per AP. “It is because of President Zelenskyy’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that Putin’s monstrous aims are being thwarted.″

Nancy Pelosi

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the most senior American lawmaker to visit Ukraine since Russia’s war began in February last year.

Pelosi and the half dozen US lawmakers with her met President Zelenskyy and his top aides for three hours to voice American solidarity.

“Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi told the Ukrainian leader in a video of the meeting that was released by his office. “We are on a frontier of freedom and your fight is a fight for everyone. Thank you for your fight for freedom.”

The delegation’s trip to Kyiv was not disclosed until the party was safely out of Ukraine. Nor were details given on how they got to the capital and back.

António Guterres

Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres’ Kyiv visit “focused on ways on how the UN can expand support for the people of Ukraine, saving lives, reduce suffering and help find the path of peace,” according to the United Nations website.

The duo discussed the support for Ukrainians through cash payments, increasing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as the importance of involving the UN in the post-war reconstruction of our state.

Jill Biden

The US first lady, Jill Biden, made an unannounced visit to western Ukraine on Mother’s Day. She travelled under the cloak of secrecy and met with the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska when the conflict had entered its 10th week.

“I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine," she had said, according to The Guardian.

She had previously visited the border processing facility in the Slovakian border settlement of Vysne Nemecke, where she had seen the initiatives the UN and other aid agencies had put in place to help Ukrainians claiming refuge.

Anthony Albanese

Australian president Anthony Albanese’s first visit to Ukraine since the conflict began focused on security cooperation between Ukraine and Australia and further protection of freedom.

During his visit, he announced additional military-technical assistance to Ukraine and will provide 14 more APCs and 20 Bushmaster armoured vehicles, additional military equipment, drones and other military equipment.

According to Zelenskyy, he further announced the ban on the import of Russian gold to reduce Russia’s ability to finance this war.

Others – Antony Blinken, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Mitch McConnell, Boris Pistorius

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv in September last year to ramp up military aid by more than $2.8 billion to Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and a delegation of GOP senators met the Ukrainian leader to express American solidarity. The trip came at a time when the Senate was working to approve a nearly $40 billion package for Ukraine, a substantial infusion of support that will push American aid to the region well above $50 billion.

While German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the war-struck nation in October last year. He reiterated Germany’s support for Ukraine, adding that Berlin would keep supporting the country, according to the German news site DW.

“My message to the Ukrainians is that we are not only standing by your side. We will continue to support Ukraine, economically, politically and also militarily,” the president had said.

German defense minister Boris Pistorius, during his surprise visit to Kyiv, met President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. He had announced more than 100 battle tanks of the older Leopard 1 type from Germany and two other European countries.

With inputs from agencies

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