Text/Dongfeng
Japan could face greater Russian military pressure inside and outside its territory, something that Japanese leaders have been trying to avoid.
Fumio Kishida
Japan's efforts to destabilize Russian President Vladimir Putin before Russia's military action against Ukraine were overshadowed by European and U.S. foreign policy, but Japan's condemnation was swift and palpable once Russia launched war. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Accepted Japan's view that There is a major stake in the rules-based global order and responded to the G7's call for financial sanctions against Russia and Russians who support putin's war. Not only that, but Japan has provided financial, humanitarian and material assistance to President Zelenskiy.
Over the past week, Japan has joined Europe and the United States in imposing sanctions on Russian military action against Ukraine. It restricts transactions with the Russian central bank, freezes the assets of President Putin and The Russian commercial oligarchy, as well as seven Russian banks in Japan, excludes some Russian banks from the SWIFT information system and prohibits the issuance or trading of new Russian sovereign debt in primary and secondary markets. In addition, Japan has restricted the export of an internationally agreed list to Russian military-related entities that includes dual-use items such as semiconductors. In addition, it sanctioned Belarus.
Japan's aid to Ukraine was also groundbreaking. Before the war broke out, the Japanese prime minister gave Zelenskiy a $100 million loan if he needed it. After the conflict began, Kishida provided another $100 million grant to the Ukrainian government. The Japanese government has also granted asylum to Ukrainians fleeing the war-torn country and similar asylum to Russian citizens who oppose Russian military action against Ukraine, much to the surprise.
Sport bulletproof vest for aircraft
On March 4, Kishida announced that Japan would provide non-lethal equipment to Ukrainians fighting to defend their homeland. The Japan Self-Defense Forces collected body armor and helmets, medical supplies, rations and generators for shipment to Ukraine. This is the first time that Japan's Self-Defense Forces have shipped bulletproof vests overseas, and Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroichi Matsuno also vowed to work with other countries to resolutely respond to Russia's "aggression" and provide support to Ukraine, which is "vital" to Japan and its national security.
The Japanese people's extreme sympathy for Ukraine gave their government freedom. Polls mostly support the first direct condemnation of Russia's military action against Ukraine. According to a March 7 poll by Yomiuri Shimbun, 82 percent of Japanese support the government's response. The Japanese also held demonstrations in support of the Ukrainians, and the colors of the Ukrainian flag illuminated the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and numerous buildings across Japan.
This is not insignificant for Japan. Kishida fumio shelved Japan's desire to reach a territorial solution with Russia and thus a bilateral peace treaty. Russia has included Japan and the United States, European countries, Canada, South Korea and many other countries and regions in the list of countries that have "taken unfriendly actions" against it. Japan could face greater Russian military pressure both inside and outside its territory and forge a stronger strategic partnership between the russian and Chinese militaries that Japanese leaders have been trying to avoid.
Two aspects of Japan's foreign policy are already affected by the war. First, Japan uses financial sanctions against individuals or companies as leverage to change the behavior of other countries. Second, a Russian invasion would accelerate Japan's ongoing strategic assessment.
Tokyo will discuss its own defensive readiness this year, including options for increasing offensive strike capabilities in its arsenal, and will now listen more to European advice when it comes to military investments. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcement of increasing defense spending to 2 percent of GDP would be an encouragement to Tokyoites, who are also eager to spend a larger share of their national income on the military, and Germany's decision could make Japan more receptive to the ambitious political proposition.
However, ideas for a larger shift in Japan's strategy, such as former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal for "nuclear sharing," are unlikely to be accepted. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a native of Hiroshima and a staunch supporter of nuclear disarmament, immediately rejected the idea of deploying nuclear weapons on Japanese territory and said Japan had no interest in asking the United States to deploy nuclear weapons in Japan.
However, Takashi Sanae, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Committee, said Japan should reconsider at least one of the three principles of non-nuclear weapons, meaning she also supported allowing the United States to "introduce" nuclear weapons into Japan in times of crisis. At present, Japan is the only country that has been used as a nuclear weapon, so many Japanese will oppose the idea that they should have the most destructive weapons in the world.
I just want to say: Japan will always be a restless country, and it must always be vigilant.