Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a lightning visit to Ukraine on the 21st, becoming the last leader of the Group of Seven (G7) to visit Ukraine.

After arriving in Kiev, Kishida also visited the suburban town of Bucha, laying flowers at the church to pay tribute to the victims killed by the Russian army.

(Associated Press)

The last G7 leader to visit Kiev is of great significance

[Special Commissioner Lin Cuiyi in Japan, compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] On the occasion of the talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also visited Ukraine on the 21st and met with Ukrainian President Zelens in the evening Key talks.

Kishida is the rotating chairman of the Group of Seven Industrial Countries (G7) this year and the last G7 leader to visit Ukraine.

Since Xi Jinping's recent visit to Russia launched "mediation diplomacy" in an attempt to portray the image of a peace envoy, influence Europe and challenge the world order led by the United States, Kishida's visit to Ukraine at this time is quite restrained.

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After Kishida's visit to India, he suddenly changed his itinerary after the war

Kishida visited India on the 19th, and held talks with Indian President Modi on the 20th. He was originally scheduled to return to China on the afternoon of the 21st, Japan time, but suddenly changed his itinerary. Rzeszow in Poland, and then take a ten-hour train ride to Ukraine by land.

After arriving in Kiev, Kishida also visited the suburban town of Bucha, where he laid flowers at the church to pay tribute to the victims killed by the Russian army.

Russia announces bombers fly over Sea of ​​Japan to counter Kishida

After World War II, Japanese prime ministers avoided visiting war-torn areas. Kishida's visit to Ukraine, where the war is still raging, is a pioneering effort.

However, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, G7 leaders successively visited Ukraine to express their support for Kiev. Kishida originally planned to visit Ukraine after participating in the G7 summit held in Germany last June, but the trip was not possible due to the tight schedule. At the end of last year, there was also a planned visit to Ukraine, but it was canceled due to the exposure of the news.

After U.S. President Joe Biden made a lightning visit to Kiev on the eve of the first anniversary of the Ukrainian-Russian War, Kishida became the only leader of a G7 country that has not yet visited Ukraine.

Since Japan holds the rotating presidency of the G7 this year, and Japan is also the only Asian country among the G7 members, Kishida's visit to Ukraine is of great symbolic significance. The ruling and opposition parties in Japan have a positive attitude towards Kishida's lightning visit to Udo. Former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera tweeted He said that Kishida's trip is of great significance, especially at the timing of Xi Jinping's visit to Russia and talks with Putin, which is very important.

Kishida's visit to Ukraine stirred up sensitive nerves between Russia and China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin secretly criticized that China hopes that Japan will "do more things that are conducive to cooling the situation, not the opposite." The Russian Ministry of Defense released two pictures on the 21st Video of Tupolev Tu-95MS (Tupolev Tu-95MS) strategic bomber flying over the Sea of ​​Japan. The flight lasted up to seven hours and was escorted by fighter jets throughout.

The Japanese media believed that the Russian bombers suppressed the border to counter Kishida's visit to Ukraine.

A series of explosions in Crimea knocked out Russian ships and deployed missiles

On the other hand, the Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated through the social platform that an explosion occurred in the northern city of Dzhankoi in Crimea on the evening of the 20th, destroying the "caliber- KN" (Kalibr-KN) cruise missile.

Ukrainian officials have not accepted responsibility, but Moscow-appointed Crimean officials insisted the Ukrainian drone attack was the cause and declared a state of emergency in Zankoy.

U.S. adds $350 million in military aid, including Hippocampus munitions

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken announced on the 20th that the Biden administration will add three more to Ukraine.

The US$500 million military aid mainly includes ammunition for the "Hippocampus" multiple launch rocket system and howitzers.

In addition, the foreign and defense ministers of EU countries agreed in Brussels on the 20th to jointly purchase ammunition to aid Ukraine, providing at least 1 million shells within a year, with a total value of 2 billion euros.