Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in various parts of Ukraine, and many civilians have fled the country. We will update the situation in Ukraine from time to time on the 6th (Japan time), including the status of the battle and the diplomacy of the countries concerned.
(There is a 6-hour time difference between Japan and Ukraine and Moscow, Russia)
President Putin meets with Belarusian President on tactical nuclear weapons deployment agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin invited President Lukashenko of neighboring Belarus, an ally, to the Kremlin in Moscow for a meeting on May 5.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Putin stated that the two countries would discuss a number of issues that should be addressed in cooperation and that "this includes cooperation in the international community and security issues between the two countries."
President Putin announced last month that he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and the two leaders are believed to have exchanged views on the deployment of them.
President Putin orders thorough security measures in the four annexed Ukrainian provinces
President Putin held a security conference on May 5 and instructed relevant ministers and others to thoroughly implement security measures in the four provinces of eastern and southern Ukraine, which were unilaterally annexed last year.
While ministers attended online, state media showed representatives of pro-Russian flanks in the four provinces' controlled territories sitting on either side of President Putin. It emphasizes Russia's stance of maintaining control over these regions.
In addition, amid the explosion at a café in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, on May 4, the Security Council also discussed the internal security situation, and President Putin said, "There are sufficient grounds to say that Western intelligence agencies are involved in Ukraine's preparations for sabotage and terrorist acts on the Russian side."
NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting Secretary-General "Cooperation across the region is becoming increasingly important"
NATO invited four Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan, to the Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Belgium on May 5 to exchange views on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the world and the situation in which Russia and China are deepening their cooperation.
At the press conference after the meeting, Secretary-General Stoltenberg expressed his recognition of the growing importance of cross-regional cooperation, saying, "As China and Russia seek to resist the rules-based international order, it is all the more important for NATO members and NATO and like-minded countries to unite themselves."
NATO has said that it is also inviting Japan to the summit meeting scheduled for Lithuania in July this year.
Stoltenberg also emphasized Russia's announcement of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in its neighbouring Belarus, "so far there has been no change in Russia's deployment of nuclear weapons, but we are vigilant and watching their actions."