At a conference held in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised aid for the reconstruction of Ukraine. The event was attended by hundreds of government and business figures from both nations.

Kishida stated that the ongoing war in Ukraine is a difficult situation. He also emphasized the importance of investing in economic reconstruction, not just for Ukraine’s future but also for the benefit of Japan and the world.

Kishida promised to ease visa restrictions and revealed plans for the Japan External Trade Organization to establish a branch in Kyiv.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, announced that over 50 cooperation agreements were signed between the two countries. Among these was an intergovernmental convention focused on preventing double taxation, a crucial factor for Japanese companies looking to launch new ventures in Ukraine.

On X, previously known as Twitter, Shmyhal expressed that if we join forces, we have the ability to transform this obstacle into a chance for future development and success. He also mentioned that Japan’s reconstruction after World War II and its economic success serve as a source of motivation for us.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, Japan has promised over $10 billion in aid. The majority of this aid has been in the form of financial and humanitarian assistance.

According to a recent report from the World Bank, European Union, and United Nations, Ukraine will require a total of $486 billion over the next ten years for reconstruction purposes.

During the Monday meeting between the delegations from Ukraine and Japan, the Ukrainian air force reported new instances of Russian aerial attacks. This included four drones that were successfully shot down by Ukraine’s air defenses.

The Ukrainian air force reported that they intercepted the drones in the Kharkiv region. There have been no immediate reports of any harm or injuries.

U.S. aid

The fall of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka to Russia forces has intensified U.S. reactions from Democrats and Republicans alike on whether $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine — stalled in Congress — could allow Kyiv to push back Russian advances and steal Moscow’s momentum.

According to a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden discussed the loss of Avdiivka in southeastern Donetsk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call on Saturday. The statement also mentioned the delay in U.S. aid for Ukraine as a factor in the loss.

Although a majority of Democrats and nearly half of Republicans have expressed their support for the package, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson maintains that he will not hastily approve the $95.3 billion foreign aid package, which was passed by a bipartisan Senate last week and includes $60 billion in aid for Ukraine.

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, expressed support for providing aid by stating, “Let’s just send it over there.”

Bennet stated that the Ukrainians recently faced their first loss since last May, likely due to being significantly outnumbered by the Russians. He believes we have the ability to aid them in addressing this issue and we should do so.

However, Senator J.D. Vance, a member of the Republican party from Ohio and a supporter of Trump, expressed that the issue in Ukraine is the lack of a definitive resolution, and that the United States does not produce sufficient weaponry to sustain conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and possibly in East Asia.

Vance argued that the reality on the battlefield will not be fundamentally altered if the package is approved, as America’s manufacturing capacity has limitations.

“Is it possible for us to provide the same amount of weapons that we have been sending for the past 18 months?” he inquired. “Unfortunately, that is not feasible. Regardless of the number of authorizations the U.S. Congress grants, we are restricted in that aspect.”

During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, ex-Republican Representative Liz Cheney expressed that Congress must approve the crucial bipartisan legislation for Ukraine and also noted that Speaker of the House Johnson has the authority to facilitate this.

“If he so desired, he could make an announcement today to call the House of Representatives back into session. This would allow for the bill, which has already been approved by the Senate, to be voted on tomorrow in the House. With this timeline, the bill could potentially reach Joe Biden’s desk by tomorrow evening and the aid could be delivered to Ukraine.”

During a security conference in Munich, Zelenskyy called on allies to address the lack of weapons and expressed optimism that the U.S. Congress would make a prudent choice in approving a delayed, substantial aid package for Ukraine.

This report includes data from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Source: voanews.com