Japan foreign minister and business leaders meet Ukrainian leader and vow support for reconstruction

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit in Kyiv, promising Tokyo’s backing and agreeing to start negotiations on security cooperation between the two countries. Hayashi, who had been on a tour of the Middle East and Poland earlier this week, made an unannounced visit to Ukraine and visited Bucha, one of the hardest-hit towns on the outskirts of Kyiv. Hayashi told Zelenskyy that Japan is ready to start negotiations on security cooperation based on an agreement between the Group of Seven and Ukraine made during the NATO summit in July.