Japan says PM Kishida to visit Ukraine, meet Zelensky in show of solidarity

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida talk before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Mar 20, 2023. REUTERS

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Japan's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, with broadcaster NHK showing Kishida boarding a train at the Polish border town of Przemysl.

Representing one of the rich democracies in the Group of Seven, the Japanese prime minister will voice support and solidarity with Ukraine following the invasion by Russian forces more than a year ago, the ministry said in a statement.

Kishida will convey "his respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people standing up to defend their homeland," it said.

Japan will host a G7 summit in Hiroshima in May, and Kishida has previously said that the summit should demonstrate a strong will to uphold international order and rule of law in response to the Ukraine war.

Kishida will also hold talks with his Polish counterpart before returning to Japan on Thursday, the ministry said.

Prior to departing for Poland en route to Ukraine, Kishida visited India, where he met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, NHK reported.