Japanese minister discusses North Korean troops in Russia during Ukraine talks

During his 16 November visit to Kyiv, Japanese FM Takeshi Iwaya met Ukraine's President, signed an information security deal, and pledged ongoing support.

Nov 17, 2024 - 18:00

Japanese minister discusses North Korean troops in Russia during Ukraine talks

japanese minister discusses north korean troops russia during ukraine talks ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy met foreign affairs japan takeshi iwaya 16 november 2024 kyiv presidentgovua 01a42da329c0131b0e76cef1e4724858_1731762990_extra_large

Japan and Ukraine have signed an information security agreement and discussed concerns over Russian-North Korean military cooperation during a high-level diplomatic visit to Kyiv.

The meeting comes as North Korea supplies Russia with artillery rounds, missiles, and thousands of troops for the Russo-Ukrainian war. Earlier this month, Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his first parliamentary policy speech, warned, “Today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia.”

Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 16 November in Kyiv, The Japan News reports. Iwaya, the first member of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet to visit Ukraine, emphasized Japan’s continued support for the country.

“The security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific are inseparable,” Iwaya said during the meeting. “The dispatch of North Korean soldiers to Russia is a clear example of this. It’s an extremely serious issue.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Takeshi Iwaya agreed to strengthen the implementation of the bilateral security agreement signed on 13 June in Apulia.

The Japan News says that the two countries signed an information security agreement earlier that day, facilitating the exchange of classified security information. During their meeting, President Zelenskyy updated Iwaya on the war’s progress and detailed North Korean soldiers’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the allocation of $3 billion, part of the G7’s $50 billion loan plan, to be repaid through revenues from frozen Russian assets, according to the Ukrainian President’s website.

After the meeting, Iwaya told reporters they had “a candid exchange of views” on the US transition to President-elect Donald Trump, emphasizing Trump’s hesitant stance on supporting Ukraine, as per The Japan News.

Iwaya also met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, where they agreed to initiate high-level security policy talks between their foreign and defense officials, The Japan News reports. Japan further pledged generators and gas turbines to support Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing strikes on its energy infrastructure.

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