Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Wednesday criticized the government’s support for Ukraine, at a time when the current ‘premier’, Fumio Kishida, has indicated that he plans to visit Kiev.
«We have come this far by accumulating good relations between Japan and Russia, is it right to put so much effort into Ukraine? It is almost unthinkable for Russia to lose,» Mori said at a Japan-India Association meeting in Tokyo, as reported by Kyodo news agency.
The Japanese government has sanctioned individuals and organizations linked to Russia, condemning the Kremlin’s annexation of territories and stressing that Japan will continue to cooperate with G7 members and the international community to impose new sanctions packages against Moscow.
Kishida told Parliament on Wednesday that he would consider an invitation to visit Kiev extended by President Volodimir Zelensky, depending on the circumstances.
Mori, 85, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), served as the country’s prime minister for just over a year (2000-2001), reaching rock-bottom approval ratings among the public for his controversial comments.
During his mandate, he had a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a contact he maintained after leaving office, achieving progress in bilateral relations with Russia.
In 2021 he raised controversy with a series of sexist comments, after which he was forced to resign as head of the Tokyo Olympic Games Organizing Committee, a position he led for seven years.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
