Sergiy Korsunsky addresses the media at the Ukrainian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, April 22, 2014.
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SINGAPORE — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is more likely to visit the Ukrainian capital before G-7 Summit in HiroshimaUkraine’s ambassador to Japan, Sergei Korsunski, told CNBC.
The envoy’s comments got here after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a virtual meeting of G-7 leaders on Friday at the invitation of Kishida as the world marked a yr of war in Ukraine.
When asked by CNBC if the ambassador sees Kishida visit before Japan hosts the summit in May, Korsunsky replied “definitely”, without further elaborating on the timeline of the potential trip.
“He fully understands this G-7 chair[‘s] it’s an obligation to visit Ukraine beforehand [the] summit in Hiroshima,” Korsunsky said, adding that it was a query of “when and the way.”
Kishida’s office didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s request for comment.
“From my conversations with political leaders around Kishida[‘s trip]in parliament and government, he may be very desperate to leave,” he said.
After a surprise visit from US President Joe Biden, Kishida is the only remaining Group of Seven leader to not visit Ukraine since Russia invaded last yr.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin TrudeauFrench President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Kishida’s journey would make him the second Asian leader after Visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo last June.
“We would like it to occur as soon as possible,” Korsunsky said, adding that he couldn’t make details of travel discussions public.
Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, at a special summit of the European Council in Brussels, Thursday, 9 February 2023.
Nicolas Maeterlinck | AFP | Getty Images
He stressed that logistical issues remain one of the foremost problems of Kishida’s potential trip to Ukraine.
Zelensky’s visit to Hiroshima
The ambassador said security issues are also a priority in discussions about Zelensky’s potential visit to the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the site of the world’s first atomic bombing.
The ambassador said that if an invite is issued by the G7 countries, Zelensky will “rigorously consider this possibility, considering … logistics and security issues.”
He added that Zelensky would have to contemplate “possible provocations” before leaving.
“Flying to Japan is different from flying to the United States. Once you fly westbound, you are flying over friendly territory,” he said. “When you’re flying East, you’ve got to rigorously consider all possible provocations,” he said.
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Korsunsky noted that Zelensky’s potential trip to Hiroshima would have symbolic significance provided that Ukraine faces “credible threats” much like the atomic bombs on Japan during World War II.
“Japan also experienced nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that’s the threat that now exists, with a credible threat to Ukraine,” he said.
“If President Zelensky personally attends the Hiroshima summit, it should send a particularly strong message to the world about the intentions of the G-7 to fight nuclear terrorists in any form,” he said.
“Red Line” for China
Asked about U.S. concerns that China could supply Russia with deadly weapons, Korsunsky said: “China needs to grasp that that is a red line that can’t be crossed.”
“You should not open a Pandora’s Box with nuclear friends,” he said. “I would like to hope that China will change its attitude as the clear picture of the atrocities committed by Russia becomes clearer,” he said.
Nevertheless, the ambassador remained skeptical of such plans resulting in concrete actions.
“Even when such discussions are happening somewhere in Beijing’s political circles, I feel they may lead nowhere,” he said.