Japan’s leader makes history with unannounced visit to Ukraine in show of solidarity

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s unannounced visit to Ukraine on March 21, 2023, marked the first time a Japanese leader has visited a country engaged in a conflict since World War II. In an apparent response to Kishida’s visit which included a stop in the war-torn town of Bucha, Russia sent its strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan. Kishida’s historic trip coincided with a state visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin to deepen economic and political ties and discussed Beijing’s proposed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.