Fumio Kishida raises Ukraine war with Modi: ‘Japan strongly condemns Russia’s aggression’

Japanese PM on visit to India sets out $75bn worth of new policies for the Indo-Pacific region

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on 20 March (AFP via Getty Images)

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida said he raised the issue of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine during his meeting with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi – who stopped short of mentioning the war in his own remarks.

Mr Kishida, who began a two-day visit to India on Monday, has an expansive new plan set out for an open and free Indo-Pacific region. This includes cooperation between the two Quad partners as witnessed in Tokyo’s efforts to forge stronger partnerships with south Asian countries to counter China’s growing assertiveness.

The Japanese leader was expected to convince Delhi to forge a broader and stronger coalition to call out Russia for its invasion of Ukraine during his meeting with Mr Modi and referred to his Indian counterpart’s earlier rebuke of Mr Putin.

“I reiterate that Japan strongly condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and will never recognise it,” Mr Kishida said while delivering the 41st Sapru House lecture. “Prime minister Modi too expressed to president Putin that today is not the era of war. Japan opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by force anywhere in the world.”

He delivered the lecture in the presence of a gathering of top diplomats, envoys and experts hours after he held bilateral talks with Mr Modi for the strengthening of India and Japan’s “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.

Standing alongside Mr Modi to deliver a statement, Mr Kishda said he and Mr Modi discussed the “extremely serious” geopolitical event of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine that has “shaken the roots of international order”.

Mr Kishida said the two leaders agreed that the conflict needs a peaceful resolution and closer cooperation between Delhi and Tokyo over the issue.

But the concerns over the conflict started by Russia were not reflected by Mr Modi, who did not mention the war and said “ties with Japan are essential for India”.

India is the only Quad member that has not condemned Russia’s Ukraine invasion and has abstained from voting against Russia at the UN or criticising Mr Putin.

The country has also sought to stave off Western concerns that it has not criticised Russia enough for the invasion, while continuing business ties with Moscow.

Mr Kishida said he invited Mr Modi to participate in the G7 summit, which will be hosted by Tokyo this year in the western city of Hiroshima. The offer was immediately accepted.

While Japan is hosting the G7 summit, India will be hosting the G20 summit in September this year.

The two nations, along with the US and Australia, make up the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad that seeks to counter China’s rising influence in Asia.

Japan meanwhile has imposed financial sanctions, including export controls on high-tech products, to isolate Russia.

On Monday, Mr Kishida pledged $75bn to the Indo-Pacific by 2030 through private investments and yen loans as well as the ramping up of aid for its new Indo-Pacific policy.

Announcing his new plan, he called India an “indispensable” partner in the Indo-Pacific.

“I will announce my new plan on Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) at a lecture event hosted by ICWA. It gives me great pleasure to be able to unveil my new vision on the soil of India which is our indispensable partner in realising FOIP,” he said.

Mr Kishida did not directly mention China in his address, but said the international community is at a “historical turning point” due to various geopolitical events.

“Our FOIP is becoming more important than ever in the pursuit of the goal of leading the international community toward cooperation rather than division and confrontation,” the Japanese prime minister said, raising the importance of “rule-making through dialogue”.

“Even at this turning point, the basic concept of FOIP remains unchanged. It is a simple matter of increasing the connectivity of the Indo-Pacific region and nurturing and enriching it as a place that values freedom and the rule of law, free from coercion,” Mr Kishida said.

India and Japan share strong economic ties with trade between the two soaring to $20.57bn for the fiscal 2021-22.