Japan's Foreign Minister's Visit to Ukraine Arouses International Attention: New Trends in Ukrainian Aid and Tensions with Russia!
Since the outbreak of the Crimean crisis in 2014, tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been the focus of international attention. At the beginning of 2024, the international landscape is once again unpredictable, but the first high-level G7 country to visit Ukraine is not from the United States or European countries, but from Japan. On January 8, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Uekawa, who had only been in office for four months, concluded a surprise visit to Kyiv, which attracted international attention.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Uekawa held talks with Ukrainian ** Zelensky and Foreign Minister Kuleba during her visit to Ukraine. Kyiv, where the visit was held, also became the site of an impromptu press conference, however, a sudden air raid siren led to the fact that the press conference had to be moved to an underground shelter in Ukraine.
At the joint press conference, Kamikawa said that Japan will continue to firmly support Ukraine. This statement means that Japan's support for Ukraine is not only in words, but also in deeds.
In terms of assistance, Japan announced that it would allocate funds to NATO ** for the supply of anti-drone equipment to Ukraine. The launch of this aid project shows Japan's concern about Ukraine's military self-defense capabilities, and to a certain extent, it also shows Japan's awareness of the current situation in Ukraine. It is worth noting that Ukraine is facing strong pressure from Russia, and Japan's move is not only a support for Ukraine, but also a positive contribution to regional peace and stability.
In addition to military assistance, Japan plans to provide Ukraine with five generators and seven large transformers to support Ukraine's infrastructure development. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict descends into a protracted war of attrition, the United States and the European Union have experienced so-called "aid to Ukraine fatigue", and Japan's all-round support has undoubtedly provided Ukraine with much-needed support. This also reflects Japan's active participation in international affairs and its responsibility to maintain peace in the region.
Japan** approved more than $10 billion in aid to Ukraine, demonstrating Japan's ambition and determination in international aid affairs. It is worth noting that so far, Japan's assistance to Ukraine has mainly been non-lethal equipment, such as helmets, body armor and military vehicles. This is also in line with Japan's long-held pacifist constitutional principles, but in today's changing global landscape, Japan's aid policy seems to be undergoing some subtle changes.
For decades, Japan has claimed to uphold a pacifist constitution and is wary of exports. However, in December 2023, Kishida made a major change to the export policy, allowing the resale of equipment produced in Japan after obtaining authorization from other countries to the authorized countries. This policy adjustment marks a major change in Japan's foreign military aid policy.
As the first case of this policy adjustment, Japan** approved the resale of the "Patriot" system to the United States. Although Japan stipulated that the United States should not transfer the Japanese-made "Patriot" system to countries and regions in conflict when it agreed to sell back, the Russian side openly questioned and warned about this. Russian spokeswoman Zakharova said that Russia cannot rule out that the Japanese-made "Patriot" will eventually appear in Ukraine, and if it appears on the battlefield, it will be regarded as a hostile act against Russia, leading to very serious consequences.
Japan's aid to Ukraine and the adjustment of its export policy have not only attracted international attention, but also made Japan's relations with Russia more strained. The Russian side has always been cautious about Japan's assistance, especially when it comes to military aid and equipment. A spokesman for Russia warned that if the Japanese-made "Patriot" system finally appears on the battlefield in Ukraine, it will be regarded as a hostile act against Russia, and the consequences will be very serious. This warning clearly increased tensions between Japan and Russia.
At present, the international community is interested in Japan's role and position on the Ukraine issue. Japan's active involvement in the Ukraine issue, as a member of the G7, is seen as an important diplomatic move. And behind Japan's move, whether it is out of concern for international peace or based on geopolitical considerations, it is worth going deeper.