Tokyo
CNN
—
Japan pledged $5.5 billion in humanitarian help to Ukraine on Monday, practically quadrupling the amount of cash Tokyo has promised to Kyiv since Russia invaded its neighbor practically a yr in the past.
“Japan is able to lead the world’s efforts to assist Ukraine in its struggle towards Russian aggression and to uphold a free and open worldwide order primarily based on the rule of regulation,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mentioned Monday.
Tokyo had beforehand pledged to ship Kyiv $600 million in monetary help and $700 million price of humanitarian help together with medical provides and meals help. It additionally joined Western allies in imposing strict sanctions on Russia over its invasion.
Final summer time, Kishida mentioned in a speech that Russia’s invasion gave warning that “Ukraine at this time could also be East Asia tomorrow” – and he echoed that language Monday.
“Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine isn’t just a European matter, however a problem to the foundations and rules of the whole worldwide neighborhood,” he mentioned.
He added that Japan faces its “most extreme” safety setting since World Struggle II, citing North Korea’s rising nuclear missile program and “makes an attempt to unilaterally change the established order by drive within the East and South China Seas.”
Kishida didn’t title specifics, however Tokyo has seen itself more and more at odds with Beijing over islands claimed by each Japan and China within the East China Sea. In the meantime, Kishida and different Japanese officers have beforehand mentioned that peace throughout the Taiwan Strait is of utmost significance to Japan’s safety.
Late final yr, Kishida introduced a large increase in Japanese military spending and Tokyo’s intention to amass long-range weapons to counter threats to Japan’s safety.
Kishida additionally introduced on Monday that he’ll host an internet summit of G7 leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, the primary anniversary of Moscow’s invasion and forward of the annual G7 summit in Hiroshima in Could.
The Japanese chief mentioned Hiroshima was an applicable venue for the summit as the town was the location of an atomic bombing throughout World Struggle II and Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is elevating new nuclear fears.
“Attributable to Russia’s actions, the world now faces an actual risk from nuclear weapons,” Kishida mentioned. “It is very important convey the fact of the atomic bombings to the world, together with the G7 leaders, as the start line for all efforts towards nuclear disarmament.”
