Mikhail TERESHCHENKO / SPUTNIK / AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kisida visited Ukraine, and in addition to Kiev, he also visited the nearby Buca, where last spring the invading Russian troops committed a brutal massacre at the expense of the Ukrainian civilian population.
“The world was shocked when innocent civilians were murdered in Bucsa a year ago. Seeing this place, I really feel great anger because of this atrocity,” MTI quoted Kisida as saying based on the Reuters report. The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the local church in Bucsa, then paid his respects to the memory of the dead with a minute of silence and a bow.
The Japanese Prime Minister arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The purpose of his visit is to express his respect for the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people, who, under the leadership of President Zelensky, stand up for the defense of their homeland, and to assure Ukraine of his solidarity and unwavering support as the leader of Japan and the G7 countries.
At the press conference following his meeting with the Japanese prime minister, the Ukrainian president announced that he had accepted Kisida’s invitation and would participate in the May G7 summit in Hiroshima via video link. Zelensky and Kisida signed a declaration on the special global partnership of the two countries. “This document reflects the values we protect and the aspirations we have yet to realize,” Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported the Japanese prime minister as saying after signing the document.
During the day, Russia also signed a partnership agreement on behalf of China.