Japan changes its defensive stance amid Russia's war against Ukraine
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (GettyImages)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has declared that events on the international stage are pushing the world and his country towards decisive and unexpected actions. Specifically, Japan has decided to alter its defensive stance, according to CNN.
"As we are witnessing Russia’s Ukraine aggression, the continuing situation over the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia, we are faced with a historic turning point," Kishida said.
The Prime Minister said that against this backdrop, Japan has decided to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities, significantly altering Japan's security policy on these fronts.
Kishida emphasized that Japan closely monitors cooperation between Russia and North Korea, calling it "concerning, with respect to international order and stabilityy."
The Prime Minister pointed out that in the face of growing security challenges, the alliance between Japan and the United States is becoming "ever more important."
"The Kishida-Biden summit has been characterized by Washington as a historic opportunity for the two countries to modernize their alliance as both eye regional threats from North Korea’s weapons testing and burgeoning relations with Russia to China’s aggression in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan," the material reads.
Since taking office, Fumio Kishida has advocated unwavering support for Ukraine and strong support for the G7 countries' stance on Russia.
Japan's support for Ukraine
Recently, Ukraine's state budget received $118 million in non-repayable aid from the government of Japan.
The funds were provided as part of the World Bank projects "Health Enhancement And Lifesaving (HEAL) Ukraine Project" and "Housing Repair for People's Empowerment Project (HOPE)".
Japan also responded to Pope Francis' recent call to Ukraine to "raise the white flag" and begin negotiations with Russian occupying forces, noting that these matters depend solely on the will of the Ukrainian people.
