Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks Japan’s House of Representatives Speaker Eisuke Mori to convey an invitation for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit Kyiv, according to Mori. Mori says the request is discussed during talks between him and Zelenskyy.
The invitation places Japan’s leader in a sensitive diplomatic position, outlets report. Japan faces pressure to increase support for Ukraine, while also managing concerns about relations with Russia. One outlet notes that Zelenskyy extends the invitation through Mori, who has links to a cross-party Japan–Ukraine parliamentary friendship group and engages with Ukrainian officials during visits.
The two accounts align on the core details: Zelenskyy makes the request during outreach involving Mori, and the invitation is specifically for Takaichi to travel to Kyiv. They differ mainly in emphasis—one focuses on the fact of the call and the intermediary, while the other highlights the potential diplomatic tension for Japan in balancing support and restraint.
