Ukrainian Prime Minster Calls on the U.S., Europe for Continued Support; Japan Praised for Its Support of Ukraine

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:52 JST, February 21, 2024

The situation Ukraine faces in its war against Russia, which approaches its second anniversary, is “not so simple,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday during his visit to Japan.

“Now the situation objectively … is not so simple” because the Ukrainian military lacks artillery and ammunition, he said during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.

Shmyhal called on the United States and European countries to continue military support for his country, saying, “The more success Russia will have in Ukraine, the more conflicts and wars all around the world we will see in the future.”

Shmyhal emphasized that his country is “especially” facing a lack of long-range artillery and ammunition. “If it will be stopped [and] if it will be delayed … this is [the] main danger for us on the battlefield,” he said.

The prime minister also pointed out that Russia’s air superiority is affecting the situation on the battlefield and called for the provision of U.S. F-16s.

Asked about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose death while in prison was announced last week, Shmyhal said: “This demonstrates and loudly demonstrates how terrible is [the] autocratic and terroristic Putin’s regime in Russia.”

Shmyhal was visiting Tokyo to attend the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction, which was held on Monday. During his press conference, the prime minister expressed his gratitude for Japan’s support in rebuilding his country.

“I believe that Ukraine and Japan will continue to open new horizons of partnership for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.