A rare and unannounced visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Ukraine saw him meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday. The visit demonstrated strong Japanese support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion, with Kishida being the only leader of the Group of Seven (G-7) countries to not have visited Ukraine. Kishida’s visit coincided with a Chinese leader’s visit to Russia, and Russia’s defense ministry responded by announcing that two of its strategic bomber planes flew over the Sea of Japan. While in Ukraine, Kishida toured the town of Bucha, where more than 400 civilians were allegedly killed by Russian forces, and laid a wreath outside a church in their memory. The visit was kept secret until the last minute for security reasons, and Kishida will also meet his Polish counterpart before returning to Japan on Thursday.
Kishida unexpectedly visits Ukraine and meets President Zelenskyy
