According to government and ruling party officials, Prime Minister Kishida, who was visiting India, has already left India and is now heading to Ukraine. He is expected to arrive later today and hold a summit meeting with President Zelensky.
Prime Minister Kishida visited India on the 19th after a Japan and held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the 20th.
The original schedule was to leave India on the afternoon of March 21, Japan time, but according to several government and ruling party officials, Prime Minister Kishida has already left India and is heading to Ukraine.
In addition, an NHK reporter confirmed that Prime Minister Kishida boarded a train in Przemysl, Poland around 9:21 a.m. Japan time.
Prime Minister Kishida is expected to arrive in Ukraine within the 2st and hold a summit meeting with President Zelensky.
Since the Pacific War, no Japan prime minister has visited a country or region where hostilities continue, and this is the first visit to Ukraine by a Japan leader since Russia launched its military invasion last February.
At the summit meeting with President Zelensky, Prime Minister Kishida is expected to convey his intention to promote the unity of the international community through severe sanctions against Russia and other measures as the G7 Presidency, and to continue to provide maximum assistance to Ukraine, mainly in terms of reconstruction and humanitarian Japan.
In February, the leaders of the G2 countries visited Ukraine, including the visit of U.S. President Joe Biden. Prime Minister Kishida also received a request for a visit when he spoke by telephone with President Zelensky in January, and he continued to consider realizing it before the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May.