Japanese PM making surprise visit to Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a surprise trip to Ukraine on March 21 to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – a day after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Kishida has already left India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is now on his way to Ukraine, according to CNN.

His trip is the first time a Japanese prime minister has visited a country or region with ongoing fighting since World War II, NHK reported. It will also be the first visit to Ukraine by an Asian member of the G7 grouping and the first by a US ally in the region.

The dual visits by Kishida and Xi underscore deep divisions in northeast Asia toward the war in Ukraine, with Japan pledging substantial aid for Kyiv, while China remains a lone voice supporting an increasingly isolated Putin – now a global pariah and suspected war criminal.

In the face of China’s growing assertiveness and global reach, Japan and the United States have moved closer in recent years, especially on regional security and intelligence cooperation.

Japan is also a member of the Quad, the informal group focused on security that includes India, Australia, and the United States.