Ukrainian state media, citing Reuters and Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun, appeared to endorse reports on Wednesday of as many as 70 Japanese nationals applying to join the ongoing war against Russia in Ukraine.
Japan does not have an official military but, due to the outcome of World War II, maintains “Self-Defense Forces” (SDF). The Mainichi report claimed that most of the volunteers had SDF experience.
Japan and Russia are technically at war – though without engaging in active hostilities for decades – since the countries did not sign a peace treaty following the end of World War II. Blocking the signing of a peace negotiation is the failure to reach an agreement over who owns the Kuril Islands northeast of Japan’s largest island, Hokkaido.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced a “special operation” last week to eradicate the democratically elected government of Ukraine, accusing Jewish President Volodymyr Zelensky of leading a “Nazi” regime that the newly-recognized “republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, regions of eastern Ukraine, had requested assistance fighting.
Among several dramatic measures taken by Zelensky that include the mass distribution of firearms to civilians and freeing convicted criminals with combat experience, the president created the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine” this week, a formal arm of the military that foreign nationals can join to fight against the Russian military.
The Ukrainian government published a seven-step guide to joining the Russia-Ukraine war from abroad this week that begins with contacting the closest Ukrainian embassy. The instructions noted that Ukrainian officials are interested in volunteers with relevant combat experience and reserve the right to reject anyone not deemed useful to the cause.
Mainichi reported on Tuesday that about 70 Japanese citizens had reached out to the embassy in Tokyo, citing officials “connected” with the facility.
Japanese men wait at the entrance to the Ukrainian embassy on March 2, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan. Around 70 Japanese, including 50 former military personnel, are believed to have volunteered to fight in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
“All of the volunteers are men, and many are former officials in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF),” Mainichi reported. “Among reasons reportedly given for putting their names forward were, ‘If young people in Ukraine are to die, then I will fight.'”
On Wednesday, Reuters independently verified with the Ukrainian embassy in Tokyo that it had received applications for the International Legion and profiled some who claim to have volunteered.
“When I saw images of elderly men and women in Ukraine holding guns and going to the front, I felt I should go in their place,” Keiichi Kurogi, a reported volunteer, told Reuters.
Ukrinform, a Ukrainian state media service, reproduced the reports of Japanese volunteers, indicating that the Ukrainian government was treating them as legitimate, but did not reveal any new information.
According to Zelensky, Japan has donated at least $100 million in aid to Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion began last week. Zelensky claimed to have spoken to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Monday and that Kishida claimed to “fully support tough sanctions against Russia.”
Talked with Prime Minister of Japan @kishida230. Thanked for a strong support to 🇺 in countering aggression. 🇵 allocates $100 million to the already approved aid of $100 million, fully supports tough sanctions against Russia. Thank you! A truly global anti-war coalition works.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2022
In an abrupt departure from Japan’s typically strict policies on migration, Kishida announced on Wednesday Japan would “proceed with a plan to welcome people from Ukraine who have fled to third countries.”
Japan and Russia have attempted often over the past seven decades to engage in talks to sign a peace treaty closing the final chapter in World War II, but have failed to come to a compromise acceptable to both sides. The Putin regime particularly inflamed tensions in 2017 by announcing that Russia would unilaterally rename the five Kuril Islands after various figures in Russian history.
Japanese officials reportedly scrambled jets on Wednesday in response to an intrusion by a Russian helicopter, perhaps a response to Japan’s policy on Ukraine.
“Tokyo issued a protest with the Russian government through a diplomatic channel, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference on Wednesday,” according to UPI. “Matsuno called the incident ‘extremely regrettable’ and said Japan would continue to monitor the situation.”
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