Japan's foreign minister makes surprise visit to Ukraine

KYIV — Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya made an unannounced visit Saturday to Ukraine for talks with officials, his ministry said, apparently to show Tokyo's commitment to Kyiv in its fight against Russia's military aggression, now involving North Korean troops.

Iwaya stopped over in the Eastern European nation after visiting Peru for a regional economic meeting, according to the Foreign Ministry, making it the first trip there by a Japanese minister since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took office last month.

After entering Ukraine by train from Poland, Iwaya is set to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on Saturday, with talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy possible later in the day, according to an official of the ministry.

The visit comes as Donald Trump's return to the White House following his win in the Nov 5 U.S. presidential election has cast a shadow over the prospects of financial aid to Ukraine from the Group of Seven industrialized nations.

While being critical of the massive U.S. financial support to Ukraine, Trump has said he is capable of ending the war in Ukraine swiftly by bringing Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, should he become president again.

Japan, along with the United States and other G7 members, has been supporting Ukraine while imposing economic sanctions on Russia since the invasion began in February 2022, including asset freezes and export bans.

The war has recently entered a new phase, with Ukraine and the United States confirming earlier this month that North Korean soldiers are engaging in combat operations with Russian forces in Russia's western border region of Kursk.

The most recent visit to Ukraine by a Japanese foreign minister was January this year by Yoko Kamikawa. Ishiba's predecessor Fumio Kishida made a surprise trip to Ukraine in March last year.

© KYODO