From: New Voice of Ukraine 🇺🇦 by Fida Ichikawa
I still remember the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Watching the news on TV from Tokyo, I was deeply struck. The invasion prompted Japan to take a stand for Ukraine.
While many innocent lives have been lost due to Russia’s aggression, a nation far away in the Far East has been providing immense support. This support has included humanitarian aid, financial assistance, defense equipment such as high-mobility vehicles and bulletproof vests, rehabilitation for wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Japan, and sanctions against Russia. Supplying equipment to a country in armed conflict was unprecedented for Japan, as its laws prohibit providing weapons in such situations. Yet, Japan chose to provide defense equipment. But why is a nation so distant so invested in supporting Ukraine? The answer lies in understanding Japan’s unique position.
Japan’s geography
Japan is geographically close to nuclear powers like Russia, North Korea, and China. Tensions between China and Taiwan escalate each year. Allowing Russia to unilaterally alter the status quo by force would send the wrong message to authoritarian leaders worldwide who share Putin’s ambitions, with potentially dire consequences for Japan. Furthermore, Russia continues to illegally occupy four northern islands to Japan’s east. Russian airspace violations and military activities near Japan are frequent, creating parallels between Japan’s situation and that of Ukraine. Today’s Ukraine could very well be tomorrow’s East Asia.
Voice of Ukraine 