CNN —
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is headed to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
NHK reported that Kishida has already left India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is now on his way to Ukraine for the surprise visit.
This follows another Asian leader’s high-profile visit to the region – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Russia, his first since the invasion began.
Xi met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Monday, with the state visit framed by Beijing as a peacemaking project – despite deep skepticism in Kyiv and the West.
The trip has underlined the long-standing partnership between the two countries, with China having provided Moscow much-needed diplomatic and economic support throughout the invasion.
During his visit on Monday, Xi praised Putin and called him a “dear friend.” They discussed the Ukraine war, with further meetings scheduled on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Xi planned to speak with Zelensky after his trip to Moscow, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
It would be the first time the two leaders have spoken since Russia launched its invasion.
Ukrainian, Chinese and US officials all declined to confirm the potential virtual meeting.
