Matsuda Kuninori was Japan’s ambassador in Kyiv when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. After finishing his three-year stint there, Matsuda emphasizes that “Japan needs to take the initiative to bring this war to a just and lasting end.”
Evident Signs of Invasion
I arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, in October 2021 not long after finishing up as Japan’s ambassador to Pakistan. Russia was already massing troops near the Ukraine border, and I strongly felt the broadly held fear of an invasion.
Fast forward to February 24, 2022. I woke up at 4:00 am in the morning. I could feel something was up. I saw the glowing trail of missiles cutting through the darkness from the second-floor window of my official residence. “It’s started,” I thought, and began reaching out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Tokyo. I felt surprisingly calm and put into action the plans we had prepared in anticipation of such an eventuality.
Dawn broke, and I went outside to survey the city. Some residents were rushing with their luggage to Kyiv’s central station or to the sheltered metro station. A woman I had seen before was walking her dog as if nothing had changed. The war was on, but it was awfully quiet, and there were no major signs of chaos or unrest. It was eerily strange, as if I was in an audience watching a black-and-white movie.
Russia’s Aggression Against the International Community
Russia had already illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine was helpless at the time and could do little to resist. However, the government, the military, and the Ukrainian people knew this was only the first step. They have spent the past eight years preparing to defend their land, culture, traditions, history, and religion. They were ready. Their will and this preparation are the main reason why the Ukrainian people have been able to resist and slow Russia’s advance.
Many Ukrainians understand that this war of aggression against their country is not just about their own independence. They know that if they lose this war, the rest of Europe will be next. If they let Russia have its way without resistance, the whole world will be at risk.
Japan has benefited from its membership of the international community and the postwar rules-based international order. The war in Ukraine is, therefore, not a distant event taking place on the other side of the world. It is not a simple “territorial dispute” taking place in Europe. Russia’s armed aggression constitutes an outrageous attack on the postwar order. Japan must come to terms with this reality and act as if its own security is at stake.
Japan’s Roles and Responsibilities
Various countries are contributing to the war effort, hoping to convince Russia that it cannot win and to bring the war to an end. Japan is also playing a major role. For example, Japan has committed its support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan and Peace Formula.
The five-point Victory Plan, announced in October this year, contains measures that Zelenskyy believes are necessary to put pressure on Russia to bring the war to an end. It includes a proposal for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
His 10-item Peace Formula, on the other hand, aims at keeping the peace following the cessation of hostilities and includes considerations of “nuclear security,” “food security,” “energy security,” and “restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.” The Ukrainian government positions the conditions in the Peace Formula as the minimum it will accept when negotiating a postwar peace.
The Situation in Ukraine and Japan’s Actions
- February 2022: Russia begins invasion of Ukraine
- March 2023: Prime Minister Kishida Fumio makes surprise visit to Kyiv and meets with President Zelenskyy
- May 2023: President Zelenskyy attends the G7 Summit in Hiroshima
- February 2024: Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction held in Tokyo
- June 2024: Japan-Ukraine Accord on Support for Ukraine and Cooperation signed by Prime Minister Kishida and President Zelenskyy at the G7 Puglia Summit in Italy
- June 2024: Summit on Peace in Ukraine held in Switzerland
In May 2023, Zelenskyy participated in the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. There, Ukraine’s president reached a four-point agreement with G7 leaders as well as with leaders of the emerging nations of the Global South. This “Hiroshima Spirit” became the basis and inspiration for Zelenskyy moving forward with his Peace Formula. Discussions between government officials soon followed, and the Summit on Peace in Ukraine was held in Switzerland of June this year. However, achieving the Victory Plan is essential for realizing the Peace Formula.
Japan’s assistance to Ukraine—which comes to $12 billion annually—does not stand out compared to the large contributions of military aid and equipment made by other countries in Europe and North America. Japan, after all, still limits itself to the provision of “nonlethal” equipment based on the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology. Japan has provided Kyiv with bulletproof vests, surveillance drones, and high-mobility vehicles. Tokyo has also provided landmine clearance support, energy assistance, and financial aid.
These are examples of assistance that Japan is well positioned to provide not only now but increasingly in the future. As Kyiv begins to think about postwar restoration and reconstruction, Japan’s role will only become more prominent. Ukraine is in a position where it can start to think about using the vitality of its private sector to power its economic development and become increasingly self-reliant.
North Korea Effectively Joins the War
Despite efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, recent developments have complicated the situation. The United States and others have revealed that North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia, ostensibly for military training. It is highly likely that North Korean troops will soon be fighting against Ukrainians on the front lines.
From the beginning of the war, former Prime Minister Kishida often repeated the notion that “Today’s Ukraine may be tomorrow’s East Asia.” North Korea’s recent action only strengthens this linkage of Ukraine’s security with security in Japan’s neighborhood. Pyongyang will expect help in return from Moscow and it may well use the military support and technological assistance it gains in future warfare in East Asia. Therefore, North Korea’s entry into this war poses a new problem for the whole international community. There needs to be concrete discussion on how to exert pressure on Russia and North Korea to ensure this does not lead to an expansion of conflict.
Zelenskyy’s Gratitude for Japan
As I was preparing to leave Kyiv, I visited the presidential office to give my official farewell. Zelenskyy communicated to me his sincere thanks to Japan, saying: “I truly appreciate the strong bilateral relationship our two countries have forged. We have never had such a strong relationship before.” In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on October 3, 2024, he thanked Japan for its role in the G7 presidency and presented me with a medal.
I accepted this award not as an honor for me personally, but on behalf of Japan as an expression of gratitude to the Japanese people from Ukraine. The president was not the only one to express gratitude. As it was becoming increasingly obvious that invasion was imminent, other countries were closing their embassies in Kyiv one after another. Japan was the last of the G7 nations to stand its ground. “You remained here, even on that fateful morning of February 24. You stuck it out with us.” I will always remember the words of the Ukrainian people on my departure as the greatest compliment of all.
Matsuda Kuninori, then ambassador of Japan to Ukraine (back row, center), attends a ceremony marking the provision of textbooks from the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Irpin, northern Ukraine, on September 26, 2024. (Courtesy the Embassy of Japan)
I have studied Russian in the United States and the former Soviet Union. I have worked twice in the Japanese embassy in Moscow, for a total of five years. I have not lost my respect for Russia. It has contributed to mankind in a variety of important ways. This is precisely the reason why I am pleading for Russia to take a different path. It must realize its own responsibility and correct its mistakes as soon as possible.
Source: Nippon.com
