Hong Kong (CNN) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will make a surprise trip to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow. .
In person He has already left India, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is now heading to Ukraine, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
His trip marks the first time a Japanese prime minister has visited a country or region with ongoing fighting since World War II, NHK reported. It will also be the first visit to Ukraine by an Asian member of the G7 and the first by a US ally in the region.
The double visits by Kishida and Xi underscore the deep divisions in Northeast Asia over the war in Ukraine, with Japan pledging substantial aid for Kiev while China remains a lone voice supporting an increasingly isolated Putin, now a global pariah and suspected war criminal.
Faced with China’s growing assertiveness and global reach, Japan and the United States have grown closer in recent years, especially in regional security and intelligence cooperation.
Japan is also a member of the Quad, the informal security-focused group that includes India, Australia and the United States.
Kishida has previously spoken out strongly against Moscow’s encroachment on its neighbor, warning last year that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.”
Last month, on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion, Japan pledged $5.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, quadrupling Tokyo’s previous contributions.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not just a European issue, but a challenge to the rules and principles of the entire international community,” Kishida said at the time.
And during his visit to New Delhi on Monday, Kishida announced a new plan to invest $75 billion in the Indo-Pacific, according to Reuters, widely seen as an attempt to deepen ties with countries in South and Southeast Asia and counter the Chinese influence. .
Xi meets his “dear friend” Putin
The expected arrival of the Japanese leader in Ukraine go on Xi’s controversial state visit to Russiathe first since the invasion began, with the first day of talks starting on Monday.
Xi’s visit has been framed by Beijing as a peacemaking project, despite deep skepticism in kyiv and the West.
For the United States and much of Europe, the Chinese leader’s presence in Moscow is seen as a resounding endorsement of Putin at a time when his military is running out of supplies and Russia’s economy is struggling under Western sanctions.
Throughout the invasion, China has backed the Kremlin’s rhetoric blaming NATO for the conflict, refused to condemn the invasion, and continued to support Moscow financially by significantly increasing Russian fuel purchases.
India is the only other Asian nation to have taken a similar stance, refusing to formally condemn Russia’s invasion and continuing to purchase Russian oil.
mode told Putin last September that it was not the time for the war, in an apparent criticism, although India has continued to maintain essential ties with Moscow.
During his visit on Monday, Xi praised Putin, calling him a “Dear FriendThey discussed the Ukraine war, with more meetings scheduled for Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Xi planned to speak with Zelensky after his trip to Moscow, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
It would be the first time the two leaders have spoken since Russia launched its invasion.
Ukrainian, Chinese and American officials declined to confirm the possible virtual meeting.
CNN’s Emi Jozuka contributed reporting.
