More and more Japanese believe that the money earmarked for Ukraine would be better spent on rebuilding after the 1 January earthquake and reducing the national debt. According to the South China Morning Post, there is a sense of “war fatigue” among the Japanese public as the conflict drags on and there seems to be few opportunities to end the fighting.
More and more Japanese are saying the money earmarked for Ukraine would be better spent on rebuilding after the 1 January earthquake and reducing the national debt, the South China Morning Post reports. Japan will allocate 15.8 billion yen ($105 million) when it unveils a series of plans on Monday to help rebuild Ukraine. The conference in Tokyo, in turn, is designed to encourage other countries to help the war-torn nation. Analysts say Ukraine is geographically far from Japan, a problem that should be addressed by European countries.
Japan has identified seven priority areas for aid, including the energy sector, improving humanitarian conditions and investing in agricultural development. IHI, which specializes in heavy engineering, plans to set up a production facility in neighboring Romania and transport components to Ukraine for final assembly. Japan is also helping to fund the establishment of a new department at the Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute to teach the safe location and elimination of landmines. Japan has provided Ukraine with mine action equipment, medical equipment, helmets, body armour and other military equipment.
Ukraine welcomed Japan’s initiative. Prime Minister Denis Shmygal told Kyodo News that his country is “interested in comprehensive co-operation with Japanese enterprises” and that he sees “huge potential” in the relationship between Japanese companies and Ukraine. And that doesn’t sit well with many Japanese.
“It seems to me that Japan under the Kishida administration is turning into an ATM,” said Yoichi Shimada, a professor of international relations at Fukui Prefecture University.
“Japan should be able to focus on threats to its own security, which means we should be willing and able to defend Taiwan and, by extension, the Japanese islands,” he added.
Koichi Nakano, professor of politics at Tokyo’s Sophia University, agrees that there is “war fatigue” among the Japanese public as the conflict drags on and there seems to be few opportunities to end the fighting.