Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday traveled to Boutcha, a martyr town near Kiev that has become a symbol of the atrocities committed by the Russian occupation, as part of his first “historic” visit to Ukraine.
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Mr Kishida took the train to Boutcha in the early afternoon shortly after arriving in Kyiv and ahead of his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, local AFP journalists noted.
His trip to this war country was described by Kiev as “historic”.
“This historic visit is a sign of solidarity and strong cooperation between Ukraine and Japan,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Djeppar said on Facebook, posting photos of Mr. Kishida on the platform in Kiev.
“We are grateful to Japan for their strong support and contribution to our future victory,” she added.
Mr. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit a war zone since the end of World War II.
His visit coincides with a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the heart of the discussion.
Mr. Kishida is to meet Volodymyr Zelensky to convey to him “his respect for the courage and perseverance of the people defending their homeland under his command, as well as the solidarity and tireless support of Japan and the G7 to Ukraine” that the Asian country is hosting this year, Japanese diplomacy said in a statement.
Fumio Kishida was the only G7 leader to visit Kiev since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
He was regularly called to Ukraine. At the end of February 2023, US President Joe Biden also paid a surprise media visit to Kiev.
Tokyo has joined Western sanctions against Russia and has offered assistance to Kiev.
In February, Japan announced $5.5 billion in new aid to Ukraine.
Tokyo also sent him defense equipment and offered to take in refugees from the conflict.
However, Japan did not provide military assistance, as its pacifist constitution required it to limit its military capabilities to defensive action.