China in Russia, Japan in Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a visit eyed warily by the U.S. and Western allies.

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Kishida is the last of the Group of Seven leaders to visit Ukraine since Russia's invasion 13 months ago. Footage shown on Japanese TV showed Kishida walking on the train station platform, escorted by people who appeared to be Ukrainian officials. Japan has joined the United States and European nations in sanctioning Russia over its invasion and providing humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine.

Kishida arrived hours after Xi landed in Moscow for talks with Putin. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel issued a statement saying Xi "stands with a war criminal" while Kishida stands for freedom.

Xi's first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine would appear to show support for Putin, who needs trade deals and bullets as he faces pressure from economic sanctions and reports that his military is running low on ammunition and fighting equipment.

More on Russia-Ukraine:

  • A "mysterious" explosion in occupied Crimea destroyed multiple Russian cruise missiles being transported by rail that likely were being readied to devastate Ukrainian cities, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry says.

  • Ukraine received another $1.6 billion from the European Union's 18 billion aid package, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced. "Together, we're writing Ukraine's European future," she said.

  • 30,000 tons of wheat arrived in Kenya as part of the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program. "Despite Russian aggression, we won’t give up our participation in overcoming global challenges," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China in Russia, Japan in Ukraine