Japan: End the Aid to Ukraine

Editor's note: A devastating 7.6 earthquake on the 1st of January completely destroyed over 260 buildings in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the country mostly affecting the Noto Peninsula. Buildings collapsed, there were mud slides that collapsed homes and roads, many roads were ripped up with fires destroying many wooden structures including homes. The resulting tsunami damaged at least 100 hectares in Suzu City and Noto City located at the very tip of Noto Peninsula. The epicenter was shallow and located immediately off the coast of the peninsula. So far there have been 203 deaths in Ishikawa prefecture with 52 people who remain unaccounted for. More than 3,176 houses are reported to be damaged causing 25,892 area residence to relocate to 405 evacuation centers. Currently, Japan is the 6th largest donor to Ukraine providing the regime in Kiev with roughly $7.5 billion in aid. 

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Source: Sputnik

Japanese Slam Government Aid to Ukraine, Say Domestic Needs Are Priority

January 10, 2023

More and more Japanese citizens are question Tokyo's pledge of financial aid to Ukraine amid the the plight of the victims affected by the recent devastating magnitude-7.6 earthquake that hit the Noto peninsula on January 1.

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made an unexpected trip to Ukraine last Sunday to assure Volodymyr Zelensky of Tokyo's ongoing commitment to provide financial support for the Ukrainian cause.

But there is growing distaste and scetpicism among the Japanese people about the nation's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.

During her trip, Kamikawa assured Ukraine of Japan's support, pledging 5.4 billion Japanese Yen ($37 million) for a advanced drone-detection system and extra power-generating units.

The news garnered substantial attention in the Japanese media, coming on the heels of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's commitment last December of $4.5 billion to Ukraine.

While a GlobeScan survey in October, 2023 showed 77 percent of Japanese backed their country's aid to Ukraine, opinion has hardened against Kamikawa's new pledged.

Popular criticism of the spending has swollen significantly in the wake of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the Noto peninsula on the start of the year, causing more than 202 deaths and leaving over 100 people missing. About 30,000 evacuees are being housed in schools, with concerns rising about potential disease outbreaks.

A recent article published by Jiji Press sparked a wave of negative comment from readers about Japan's support for Ukraine.

"Why are you going to Ukraine now? Do you know what's happening in Japan right now? The disaster area should be the most important. It should be time for the foreign minister to seriously consider and implement countermeasures that he can experience from his own experience as a senior government official by visiting the disaster-affected areas on the ground," one comment read.

Another wrote: "Nowadays, I think it's out of place for the Prime Minister and ministers to travel abroad and provide large sums of aid wherever they go, rather than the Noto Earthquake disaster countermeasure budget."

"What do you mean by 5.4 billion yen for Ukraine? It should be used for the victims of the Noto earthquake before being sent to Ukraine. Does the Kishida administration value Ukraine more than its own people?" writes another reader.

Please go to Sputnik to continue reading.

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