Japan pledges an additional $5.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced plans to send $5.5 billion in financial aid to Ukraine, "nearly quadrupling the amount of money Tokyo has promised to Kyiv" since the Russian invasion began, CNN writes.

Kishida said Japan "is in a position to lead the world's efforts to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and to uphold a free and open international order based on the rule of law." Tokyo previously pledged to send $600 million in financial assistance and $700 million in humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and food. Japan also joined the U.S. and European nations in imposing sanctions against Russia.

"Russia's aggression against Ukraine is not just a European matter, but a challenge to the rules and principles of the entire international community," the prime minister added.

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The Japanese government reacted quickly to the invasion because "it fears a possible impact of the war in East Asia, where China's military has grown increasingly assertive and has escalated tensions around self-ruled Taiwan," The Associated Press says. Kishida also cited North Korea's growing collection of missiles as a looming threat to Japanese security. While making the announcement, he acknowledged he was moving decisively because of "strong concern that Ukraine may be tomorrow's East Asia."

Kishida also announced that he would be hosting an online summit of G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to mark the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion.

"Due to Russia's actions, the world now faces a real threat from nuclear weapons," Kishida said. "It is important to convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world, including the G7 leaders, as the starting point for all efforts toward nuclear disarmament."