Kishida-Zelenskyy meeting being considered for February

Plans are underway to realize a February meeting between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Japan currently chairs the Group of Seven industrialized countries and Kishida is keen to express the group’s continuing support for Ukraine and issue a joint document condemning Russia’s aggression, several government sources said.

A nal decision on the proposed visit will be made a er assessing the con ict situation in Ukraine, but it is thought that Kishida would most likely enter the country via neighboring Poland. In addition to Kyiv, Kishida may also visit other areas attacked by Russia. e government is using the weekend to coordinate a possible schedule for the trip so as not to a ect deliberations in the ordinary session of the Diet.

If the meeting comes to pass, Kishida intends to convey his intention to advance civilian assistance to Ukraine and confirm the importance of a realizing a “world free of nuclear weapons” — a goal he considers his lifework — as Russia continues to threaten Ukraine with nuclear attack, the sources said.

e two leaders held a telephone conversation on Jan. 6, during which Zelenskyy asked Kishida to visit Ukraine.

e leaders of ve G7 countries — the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and Italy — have visited Kyiv since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24 last year. e U.S. secretary of state, secretary of defense and other high-ranking U.S. government o cials also have visited Ukraine, and U.S. President Joe Biden met with Zelenskyy in Washington last month. Japan is the only member of the G7 whose leader has not held face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy.

Ukraine will be one of the major themes at the G7 summit to be held in Hiroshima in May. Kishida is thus set on visiting Ukraine and conveying to the world the importance of united support for the country.

However, ghting has continued to rage in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Province since the start of the year, and many people have been killed or injured in intermittent Russian attacks using drones and missiles across the country, including Kyiv. e Japanese government will therefore carefully monitor the con ict to assess whether the prime minister’s safety can be ensured when he enters Ukraine. (Jan. 23)