Japan’s Kishida pledges development aid for Poland to help Ukraine

WARSAW, POLAND >> Japan’s prime minister pledged Wednesday to provide Poland with development support to help the European country assist neighboring Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s invasion.

Polish Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hosted Japanese Prime Minister

Fumio Kishida in Warsaw a day after Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Bearing in mind the increasing burden on Poland due to the prolonged invasion of Ukraine,” Kishida said Japan would offer Poland assistance to support its role and is looking to “vigorously build up” projects.

Japan usually provides the type of promised aid to developing countries, which Poland is no longer, but the Japanese government is making a special exception, he said.

Kishida said it was crucial for like-minded countries such as Japan and Poland to remain united in their support for Ukraine and in furthering sanctions against Russia.

During a joint news conference with Kishida, Morawiecki said that at the time when a “new geopolitical order” was emerging, both countries understand the “threat to world peace and international order coming from Russia’s imperialism.”

Poland has supplied military, humanitarian and political support to Ukraine during the war that started 13 months ago.

Kishida, who is preparing to chair a Group of Seven summit in May, said that during his country’s G-7 presidency, Japan “will work together with Poland to demonstrate leadership so that the international community can unite and firmly support Ukraine.”

Following talks with

Morawieck, Kishida also said that Japan was interested in building closer ties with regional alliances in central and eastern Europe, such as the nine NATO eastern flank members, the Visegrad Group that includes Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, and countries participating in the Three Seas economic initiative.