What's happened
On November 16, 2024, Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya arrived in Kyiv to discuss North Korea's military alliance with Russia and reaffirm Japan's support for Ukraine. The visit follows recent drone attacks on Kyiv and highlights concerns over North Korean troop deployments in Russia.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Guardian reports that Iwaya's visit comes in the wake of drone attacks on Kyiv, emphasizing Japan's strong support for Ukraine. According to The Independent, the meeting will address the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which poses a direct threat to global security. South China Morning Post highlights the recent small-scale fighting between Ukrainian and North Korean troops, underscoring the urgency of the situation. These sources collectively illustrate the multifaceted challenges facing Ukraine and its allies as they navigate a precarious geopolitical landscape.
How we got here
Japan's engagement with Ukraine has intensified amid Russia's ongoing invasion and the emergence of a military alliance between North Korea and Russia. Recent intelligence reports indicate significant North Korean troop deployments to support Moscow.
More on these topics
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Takeshi Iwaya is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. He served as the Minister of Defense from 2 October 2018 to 11 September 2019.
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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Andrii Ivanovych Sybiha is a Ukrainian statesman, diplomat, and jurist who became the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since September 5th 2024.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.