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Japan's Kishida heading to Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy

Last Updated Mar 20, 2023 at 9:00 pm MDT

FILE - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference at his official residence in Tokyo on March 17, 2023. Kishida was seen Tuesday, March 21, heading to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Pool Photo via AP, File)

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is heading to Kyiv early Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Japan’s public television NHK showed Kishida riding a train from Poland heading to Kyiv. Kishida’s surprise trip to Ukraine comes just hours after he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Kishida, who is to chair the Group of Seven summit in May, is the only G-7 leader who hasn’t visited Ukraine and was under pressure to do so at home.

Japan has been in step with other G-7 nations in sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukraine over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida is expected to offer continuing support for Ukraine when he meets with Zelenskyy.

The Associated Press