The minister visited Bucha, a town near kyiv, where Russian forces are accused of committing atrocities against civilians early in the war.
“Our position remains unchanged, namely that Japan will stand alongside Ukraine,” he insisted.
His Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiga declared that the entry of North Korean troops into the Ukrainian conflict was “proof that the future of the security architecture, not only European, but also global, is being played out in Ukraine.”
He called his Japanese counterpart’s visit “an important sign of solidarity, especially in such a difficult time.”
He also praised ties with Tokyo: “Although eight thousand kilometers separate us, our countries are very close in terms of values.”
According to kyiv, some 11,000 North Korean soldiers are already deployed in Russia and have started fighting against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region where the latter have been on the offensive since August.
This deployment greatly worries Western countries which support Ukraine.
The Kremlin has so far evaded questions about this presence of North Korean reinforcements.
But North Korea ratified a historic defense agreement with Russia on Monday, sealing their rapprochement, according to the official North Korean agency KCNA. Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed this mutual defense treaty, according to the Kremlin.
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