Japan's top diplomat makes surprise Ukraine visit amid support concerns

INA-  sources


Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made a previously unannounced visit to Ukraine on Sunday — her first trip to the war-torn nation as Japan’s top diplomat — amid concerns of dwindling support in some countries for Kyiv’s nearly 2-year attempt to fend off an invasion by Russia.

The top Japanese diplomat was due to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, where she will “directly convey Japan's position that Tokyo will stand by and support Ukraine even in the current difficult international situation,” Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Japan has been among the most vociferous supporters of Ukraine’s fight against Russia following Moscow’s Feb. 22, 2022, invasion of its neighbor, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida repeatedly stressing the importance of beating back aggression and noting that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow."

Kishida’s comments have been widely interpreted to be a veiled reference to China’s desire to unify democratic Taiwan with the mainland.

One key part of Kamikawa’s visit, the Foreign Ministry said, will be for Japan to “demonstrate its determination” to uphold the international rules-based order and stress that “unilateral changes in the status quo by force, such as Russia's aggression in Ukraine, must never be allowed.”

Kamikawa will also discuss Ukraine's economic reconstruction ahead of a conference on rebuilding the country in Tokyo slated for Feb. 19, the ministry said.

“Japan will strongly demonstrate both domestically and internationally its commitment to the reconstruction of Ukraine via the public and private sectors,” the ministry said. “The two countries will also discuss how to strengthen cooperation for a successful conference.”
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speaks during a meeting in Busan, South Korea, in November. | POOL / VIA REUTERS


Kamikawa and Ukrainian officials will also exchange views on how to reach a “just and lasting peace ... and, in particular, ways in which Japan can make a concrete contribution toward the realization of such a peace,” the ministry added.

A number of Ukrainian cities have been leveled amid the Russian invasion, with infrastructure and transportation networks suffering substantial damage. Ukraine hopes to take a page from Japan’s experience following natural disasters as it looks to rebuild its cities.

Kamikawa will also join a ceremony announcing the provision of large-scale electric power-related equipment for wintertime assistance on Sunday, and will visit a UNICEF site supporting women and children in Ukraine, Japanese government officials said.

Her predecessor as Japan’s top diplomat, current Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, also made an unannounced visit to Ukraine in September — becoming the last Group of Seven foreign minister to travel to the country in a show of Tokyo's support for Kyiv.

Kamikawa’s visit to the Ukrainian capital came after she landed in Poland over the weekend as part of a whirlwind tour of five European nations and the United States and Canada. She was also scheduled to visit Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany.

Japan has provided Ukraine with more than $7 billion in aid. It has also sent nonlethal defense gear to Kyiv.

In a step beyond this, however, Tokyo is moving to export license-built Patriot air-defense missiles to the United States following a request by Washington to help replenish weapon stockpiles depleted by its military assistance to war-torn Ukraine.

That move could come after legal constraints on the transfer of lethal defense equipment are eased in the near future.


source: The Japanse Times