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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, condemning Russia’s new annexation of parts of Ukraine as illegal and a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
“I told him that Russia’s call for a referendum and annexation of parts of Ukraine should never be accepted, and I strongly condemn them,” Kishida said afterwards.
Kishida said he also assured Zelensky during their 30-minute conversation that Japan was committed to working with other G7 countries and the wider international community to further support Ukraine and plans to impose more sanctions on Russia.
Western leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, also condemned Russia’s annexation of four occupied Ukraine regions, days after voters allegedly approved a Moscow-administered “referendum” to join Russia.
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Kishida, who will chair a meeting of G7 leaders next year, told Zelensky that he plans to propose tough sanctions on Russia and will lead discussions on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
He said Japan was evaluating when it could reopen its embassy in Kyiv, which he believed was important for close contacts between Japan and Ukraine. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified, Japan closed its embassy in March and moved some of its operations to Lviv in western Ukraine.
Japan has worked closely with other G7 members and European countries to impose sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Recently, Japan banned the export of sensitive materials that could be used to make chemical weapons.
Japan’s sanctions on Russia have further damaged their relationship, already strained by a group of islands Moscow occupied at the end of World War II that prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty that would formally end wartime hostilities.
In retaliation for Tokyo’s sanctions, Moscow terminated peace talks, including on islands.
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