Japan and Ukraine negotiate on security assurance

“I welcome Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to Ukraine. We have agreed to start negotiations on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, based on the recent statement of the G7 group," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on September 9 on his Telegram account.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa arrived in the capital Kiev the same morning and the visit was not announced in advance. Mr. Zelensky said Japan is Ukraine's key partner in Asia.

G7 includes France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USA, UK and Canada. In July, leaders of the countries announced a long-term security policy framework for the Ukraine issue.

The plan provides a framework for each country to establish bilateral agreements with Kiev, detailing the types of weapons they will provide, to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities. In return, Ukraine pledged to continue implementing reforms, including in areas such as law enforcement, anti-corruption and corporate governance.

Western officials see the joint statement in Vilnius, Lithuania in July as creating a premise for countries to maintain support for Ukraine for many years to come, aiming to end hostilities in Ukraine and to deter and respond to any threats. future attack.

Meanwhile, Moscow criticized the G7 commitment statement as false and dangerous, threatening Russia's security. “By providing security guarantees to Ukraine, they weaken Russia's security and will make Europe more dangerous for years to come,” commented Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Since the war broke out in Ukraine in February 2, Western countries have provided large amounts of ammunition and weapons to Kiev. Moscow has repeatedly criticized this Western action as only heightening the conflict and failing to find a solution.

Name (Follow Reuters, Ukrinform)