Ukraine discusses security agreement with Japan
Source: president Volodymyr Zelensky
On April 3, President Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.In particular, the parties discussed the state of preparation of the security agreement based on the results of three rounds of negotiations.
The sides also discussed Ukraine’s need for non-lethal equipment: special equipment for fortifications, demining and medical evacuation.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to the people of Japan and the government for the large-scale and multifaceted assistance.Japan has already provided financial support to Ukraine in the amount of more than 12 billion dollars and has announced additional aid for the current year.
Zelensky also thanked for the Japanese-Ukrainian conference held in Tokyo in February, at which more than 50 bilateral agreements were signed.
The parties also discussed the situation on the battlefield, including Russian air terror.
Zelensky informed that since the beginning of the year, the Russian Federation has launched almost a thousand missiles, approximately 2,800 attack drones and about seven thousand guided aerial bombs. The sides agreed on the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia and create a mechanism for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets. Zelensky emphasized that Japan’s introduction of the 23rd package of sanctions against Russia is a good example for other international partners.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.