Fumio Kishida visits Ukraine: What has been Japan’s stance on war until now?

On Tuesday, Japan’s Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv. Kishida, who is set to chair the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima in May, had come under increasing pressure to make the trip. Kishida had until now been the only Group of Seven (G7) leader to not visit Ukraine since the war began. Kishida’s trip comes just hours after he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and a week after a breakthrough summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yoel. The visit also comes as Chinese president Xi Jinping visits Moscow for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In February, US president Joe Biden made a surprise stop to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Let’s take a closer look at Kishida’s visit and Japan’s stance on the war till now What we know about Kishida’s trip Japan’s foreign ministry, announcing his trip to Kyiv, said 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,” during his visit to Ukraine. Kishida’s trip was kept secret until the last minute for security reasons. It is rare for a Japanese leader to make an unannounced visit to another country. Kishida is the first Japanese prime minister to visit an active warzone since World War II. He is set to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday – whom he is reportedly considering inviting to the G7 summit.

Zelenskyy in January had invited Kishida to visit Kyiv.

[caption id=“attachment_12299782” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. AP[/caption] Public broadcaster NHK showed footage of Kishida talking to officials after his arrival in Kyiv by train, which he had taken from the Polish border town of Przemysl. He toured the town of Bucha, where the mayor has said more than 400 civilians were killed last year by Russian forces and which has since become synonymous with Russian brutality during the war. He laid a wreath outside a church before observing a moment of silence and bowing. “The world was astonished to see innocent civilians in Bucha killed one year ago. I really feel great anger at the atrocity upon visiting that very place here,” Kishida said. “I would like to give condolence to the all victims and the wounded on behalf of the Japanese nationals. Japan will keep aiding Ukraine with the greatest effort to regain peace.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Kyiv, hailing his “historic” visit as a key show of support. “This historic visit is a sign of solidarity and strong cooperation between (Ukraine and Japan). We are grateful to Japan for its strong support and contribution to our future victory,” First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar said on Twitter. But Global Times quoted Liu Qingbin, an expert on Japan from Huaqiao University, as saying that Kishida’s visit had more to do with the G7. “If Kishida, as prime minister of the rotating presidency, had not been to Ukraine, it would have sparked discussion,” Liu said. Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the outlet the visit was meant to echo the West’s solidarity on Ukraine but that it would not have much of a practical effect. Tokyo’s stance since war began Tokyo has continually voiced support for Ukraine and joined other G7 countries in extending sanctions against Russia. Japan has sent Ukraine equipment such as helmets, bulletproof vests and drones, and humanitarian supplies including generators. It has not offered military support because the nation’s post-war constitution limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures. But a piece in Carnegie Endowment noted that Japan is talking about possibly sending lethal weapons and tasks and missiles to countries that have borne the brunt of acts of aggression in violation of international law.

Japan has contributed more than $7 billion to Ukraine.

Tokyo has also accepted more than 2,000 displaced Ukrainians and helped them with housing assistance and support for jobs and education, a rare move in a country that is known for its strict immigration policy. Kishida has said that the G7 summit should demonstrate a strong will to uphold international order and rule of law in response to the Ukraine war. He has repeatedly said a visit to Kyiv was “under consideration,” though security and logistical challenges were reportedly a major obstacle. US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel tweeted about the “two very different European-Pacific partnerships” that unfolded Tuesday. “Kishida stands with freedom, and Xi stands with a war criminal,” Emanuel said. He was referring to last week’s action by the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin, saying it wanted to put him on trial for the abductions of thousands of children from Ukraine. Japan, a key ally of the United States, has its own territorial dispute with Moscow that dates back to the end of World War Two. Russia’s invasion has also deepened concern in Tokyo and among the Japanese public about what would happen to Japan if China were to invade Taiwan. [caption id=“attachment_12185492” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen has vowed closer military cooperation with the US. AFP[/caption] The Carnegie Endowment piece also noted that Japan has attempted since the outbreak of the war to convey to Beijing that any attempt at altering the status quo in East Asia would be met by fierce resistance. Kishida in a speech last year warned that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow”, as concerns grow that China could invade democratic, self-ruled Taiwan. Encouraged by the United States, Japan in December unveiled its biggest military build-up since World War Two, with a commitment to double defence spending to two per cent of GDP within five years. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing’s contacts with Russia will help to bring about peace. “President Putin said that Russia appreciates China’s consistent position of upholding fairness, objectivity and balance on major international issues,” he said. “Russia has carefully studied China’s position paper on the political settlement of the Ukrainian issue, and is open to peace talks.” Asked about Kishida’s trip to Kyiv, he added, “We hope Japan could do more things to deescalate the situation instead of the opposite.” With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.