Japan's 2 key decisions in 2022: on Russia and on security policy

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Photo: AP

In a speech at the Johns Hopkins University School of International Affairs during his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Kishida said: "In 2022, I made two major decisions in Japan's foreign and security policy. One of them was a change in foreign policy toward Russia. The second was a change in Japan's post-war security policy through the formulation of three important documents at the end of last year: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Plan. Both of these difficult decisions have consequences for the future of Japan and the world. I believe these are the right decisions for my country and for the world."

According to Mr. Kishida, the events in Ukraine mark the end of the "post-Cold War era" and also demonstrate that "globalization and interdependence are still not able to ensure world peace."

"Based on this understanding, Japan made a major change in its current policy towards Russia, subsequently imposing tough sanctions on the country. We were also one of the first countries to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine," the Japanese leader said.

According to him, participating in the campaign to sanction Russia has turned this transatlantic confrontation into a global confrontation./.