Ukraine "President Zelensky to Officially Visit Japan"... Possible Arrival on the 20th

No Specific Schedule Disclosed Due to Security Concerns
Possibility of Bilateral Meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida

The Ukrainian government has officially announced President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Japan. President Zelensky is expected to depart for Hiroshima, Japan, where the Group of Seven (G7) summit is taking place, and arrive around the 20th. There is also speculation about a possible separate bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 19th, Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine's National Security Advisor, officially announced on state television that President Zelensky will visit Japan to attend the G7 summit held in Hiroshima. However, due to security concerns, specific details of the schedule were not disclosed. Major foreign media outlets, citing sources, reported that President Zelensky is expected to arrive in Japan on the evening of the 20th.

Advisor Danilov emphasized, "Very important decisions will be made there (in Hiroshima)," adding, "The presence of our president (Zelensky) is absolutely necessary to protect our interests." This visit marks President Zelensky's first trip to Japan since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The Ukrainian government's announcement came less than a day after the Japanese government announced that President Zelensky's 'virtual' attendance schedule at the G7 summit had been changed from the 19th to the 21st. Earlier, on the night of the 18th in Hiroshima, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated at a press conference, "At Ukraine's request, President Zelensky's virtual attendance schedule has been changed to the 21st."

Upon President Zelensky's arrival in Hiroshima, he is expected to attend the summit on the final day, the 21st, to appeal for support for Ukraine. There is also speculation about a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Kishida. If the meeting between the two leaders takes place, it will be the second such meeting this year following Prime Minister Kishida's visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in March. It is also reported that arrangements are being made for President Zelensky to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Atomic Bomb Museum).

As President Zelensky is expected to participate in person on the final day when the G7 summit's statement will be issued, attention is focused on whether military support for Ukraine will be further strengthened. There are cautious expectations that Western countries, including the United States, may formalize the provision of fighter jets, which Ukraine has persistently requested.

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