KYIV: Japanese International Minister Yoko Kamikawa mentioned on a shock go to to Kyiv on Sunday (Jan 7) that Tokyo was “decided” to assist Ukraine, because the second anniversary of Moscow’s invasion nears.
Japan has joined Western sanctions towards Russia and supplied weapons to Kyiv.
Throughout her first overseas journey of 2024, Kamikawa held a press convention along with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in a Kyiv bomb shelter as an air siren rang out.
“Japan is decided to assist Ukraine in order that peace can return to Ukraine,” she mentioned, sitting at a desk in a cellar with Kuleba. “I can really feel how tense the scenario in Ukraine is now.”
Her go to got here throughout an escalation of assaults on either side within the battle.
“I as soon as once more strongly condemn Russia’s missile and drone assaults, notably on New Yr’s Day,” mentioned Kamikawa, the primary overseas visitor in Ukraine this 12 months.
She introduced that Tokyo would “allocate US$37 million to supply a drone detection system”.
Japan may even provide 5 turbines to assist Ukraine “survive” one other winter in the course of the Russian assault, she mentioned.
Kamikawa additionally visited the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the place Russian forces are blamed for a 2022 bloodbath of civilians, saying she was “shocked” by what she noticed.
She additionally went to Irpin, a previous scene of heavy preventing.
Her beforehand unannounced go to was a change to a two-week tour plan beginning Friday that was to soak up Poland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Germany and Turkey.
Kamikawa and Kuleba additionally mentioned Japan’s plans to host a convention to advertise Ukraine’s financial reconstruction in Tokyo in February.
Kuleba in flip expressed “solidarity” with Japan for the January 1 earthquake.
He mentioned Kyiv was grateful for Japan’s choice final 12 months to supply Ukraine with F-16s jets, however mentioned the nation additionally wanted air defence programs.
“Day by day, Ukrainian cities are destroyed by Russian missiles and drones. They can’t seize us, so they’re attempting to destroy us,” he mentioned.
Kuleba additionally mentioned the 2 mentioned “threats from North Korea”.
Japan’s overseas ministry earlier mentioned Kamikawa would “reveal Japan’s dedication to uphold the worldwide order based mostly on the ‘rule of legislation’ from the attitude that unilateral modifications to the established order by drive, akin to Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, can’t be accepted.”
