Kyodo News
May 13, 2022

Japan, Ukraine top diplomats agree to keep strong sanctions on Russia

The foreign ministers of Japan and Ukraine agreed Friday that the international community should remain united in maintaining strong sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, now in its third month with the war showing no signs of easing.

During talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Weissenhaus, northern Germany, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Russia must be “held accountable over its atrocities,” calling its actions “unacceptable,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

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Meeting on the sidelines of the three-day G-7 foreign ministerial meeting through Saturday, Kuleba was quoted by the ministry as telling Hayashi that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy very much appreciates the recent decision by Japan to phase out Russian oil imports.

Hayashi also held separate meetings with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, whose country is the rotating chair of the G-7, and Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, who doubles as deputy prime minister.

Hayashi and Baerbock shared the view that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable….

Japan will take over the G-7 chairmanship next year.

In his talks with Popescu, Hayashi applauded Moldova….Popescu explained the situation over Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region in eastern Moldova where tensions are rising….

Ukraine, along with Moldova and Indonesia, has been invited to join part of the discussions during the G-7 foreign ministerial gathering.

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Nikkei Asia
May 13, 2022

Japan aid to Ukraine counters Russia risk in East Asia: ambassador

“Support for Ukraine is an investment in Japan’s security,” Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky told Nikkei, arguing that a Russian victory in its war would heighten the security risks faced by Tokyo.

Korsunsky expressed gratitude for Japan’s “unprecedented nonmilitary support,” including medical supplies and sanctions against Moscow. He hopes to see Tokyo play a leading role in Ukraine’s postwar rebuilding, leveraging its prior experience in places like Afghanistan and Cambodia.