Japan to send food, medicine to Ukraine

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday that Japan will provide food and medicine to war-torn Ukraine as additional relief supplies.

Kishida told reporters after their roughly 40 minute conversation that Japan will step up diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine in cooperation with the Group of Seven nations, which are leading efforts to punish Russia for its invasion.

Japan strongly condemned Russia's attack against Ukraine as shaking the foundation of international order to its core, imposing a raft of sanctions against Moscow at the expense of bilateral ties due to a long-unresolved territorial dispute.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Kishida told Zelenskyy that Japan will deliver requested items, including food and medicine, as soon as possible.

A government official said around 15 tons of food items, including canned bread and fish, are expected to be delivered to Ukraine.

Since Russia's attack on its neighbor began in late February, Japan has so far sent or decided to provide bulletproof vests, helmets, protective masks and commercial drones within the bounds of the pacifist constitution.

President Zelenskyy spoke to reporters about Russia Kishida's assistance and sanctions. Japan will work closely with the G 7 and other nations to defend peace and order. Kishida and Zelenskyy spoke on the phone in early March.

Kishida has said that any unilateral use of force to change the status quo should never be tolerated. The crisis in Ukraine has raised the alarm of its implications beyond Europe and the Indo-Pacific, where China's assertive moves are spurring regional concerns.

In a rare move for a nation known for its strict immigration and refugee policy, Japan has taken in hundreds of people fleeing Ukraine, leaving the possibility of staying longer and working in the country.

The government will help the evacuated in various aspects of their lives, including finding jobs and going to school, as part of longer-term support for them, Kishida said.