Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is arranging telephone talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, government sources said on Monday, with the discussions expected to focus on reaffirming solidarity with Kyiv and providing aid for the country's reconstruction.
The talks, potentially taking place Tuesday, would follow a planned bilateral meeting in July during the NATO summit in Lithuania that failed to materialize due to prolonged discussions. At that time, the two leaders could only manage a brief exchange.
Kishida is also likely to use the talks to align positions with Zelenskyy ahead of the Group of 20 summit in India next month, where he plans to discuss assistance for Ukraine and ongoing sanctions against Russia with other leaders. Russia is also expected to attend the summit.
During talks on the fringes of the Group of Seven summit in May in Japan's western city of Hiroshima, Kishida told Zelenskyy that Tokyo would provide some 100 vehicles from its Self-Defense Forces, including small trucks and material carriers, to Ukraine as part of its assistance.
Arrangements are also being made to hold a conference on Ukraine's reconstruction in Japan early next year.
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