"Remember Pearl Harbor" Zelensky's Speech Sparks Outrage Among Japanese Netizens: "Cut Support"

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Some Japanese netizens strongly reacted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's virtual speech to the U.S. Congress on the 16th (local time).

In his virtual address to members of the U.S. House and Senate, President Zelensky appealed to President Joe Biden to become a global leader in maintaining peace.

He pointed out, "The United States must remember the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japan in 1941 during World War II, and the September 11 attacks in 2001."

In his speech urging support for Ukraine, which is under Russian invasion, the fact that Japan was an aggressor nation that started the Pacific War in the past was emphasized again.

Japanese netizens who saw this speech reacted angrily, posting on social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter that "the Japanese government should formally protest to Ukraine."

Some even argued that "Japan should stop supporting Ukraine."

The Japanese government has provided a loan of approximately 100 million dollars to Ukraine, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces have supplied military goods such as bulletproof vests and helmets.

On the other hand, some netizens expressed the opinion that "President Zelensky was not comparing Russia's invasion itself to the Pearl Harbor attack, but rather using it as a metaphor for the shock and fear of having one's normal life taken away."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.