Japan to give $5.5bn additional aid for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Monday a new financial aid valued at ¥740bn ($5.5bn) to Ukraine, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Kishida, speaking at a global forum in Tokyo organised by a Japanese think tank, also plans to hold an online Seven summit including the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The aid as well as the online summit are not the first gestures of support Japan has offered to Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, Japan has provided more than $520m in emergency economic assistance.

The country has also hosted more than 2,000 displaced Ukrainians; supporting them with jobs and education, in addition to assisting in housing.

Kishida explained his country’s decisive movements are motivated by its concerns the Russian-Ukrainian status might turn out to be a situation similar to East Asia.

“Ukraine may be tomorrow’s East Asia”, he stated. East Asia has witnessed tensions escalating around Taiwan.

In its position supporting Ukraine, Japan joins Europe and the United States in providing economic and humanitarian aid, in addition to economically sanctioning Russia.