Zelenskyy Urges Japan to Maintain Sanctions on Russia

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)--Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Japan to maintain its sanctions against Russia during his online speech to the Diet, Japan's parliament, on Wednesday. Zelenskyy, the first foreign leader to address the Diet online, pointed out that Japan was the first nation in Asia to put pressure on Russia over its invasion of his country. The president also expressed his deep gratitude for Tokyo quickly extending support for Ukraine following the start of the Russian invasion. Reiterating his condemnation of Russia's inhumane military aggression, the president argued that many radioactive substances were released into the air when the Russian military seized the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine, the site of the worst nuclear plant accident in history, which happened in 1986. Zelenskyy said he has been informed that Russia is preparing a chemical weapons attack possibly using sarin or other materials. He said it is necessary to be on extremely high alert against the invaders and to send out a powerful message that peace must not be destroyed. Regarding the U.N. Security Council, Zelenskyy said the international body was not working and therefore needs to be reformed, citing its failure to take concrete action because of the exercise of veto power by Russia, a permanent member of the council. The online speech was realized at the request of Ukraine. It was livestreamed to an international conference room and a hall in a building for members of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other members of the Lower House and the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, watched the 11-minute livestream, delivered in Ukrainian and simultaneously translated into Japanese by the Ukrainian embassy in Tokyo. END