Japan’s minister visits Ukraine to fret mutual fear over North Korean troops

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Japan’s overseas minister arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to speak about North Korea’s deepening army alliance with Russia, together with the deployment of 1000’s of troops to toughen Moscow’s struggle in Ukraine. Takeshi Iwaya will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, to reaffirm Japan’s “robust toughen” for Ukraine towards Russia’s invasion and to speak about additional sanctions towards Moscow, Japan’s Overseas Ministry mentioned. Prime at the schedule used to be Tokyo’s “grave fear” over rising army cooperation between North Korea and Russia, the ministry mentioned.Consistent with U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence exams, as much as 12,000 North Korean troops had been despatched to Russia as a part of a significant protection treaty between the international locations. Remaining week, Ukrainian officers mentioned Ukraine and North Korean troops engaged in small-scale combating whilst Ukraine’s military fired artillery at North Korean squaddies in Russia’s Kursk border area, the place Ukraine introduced a marvel push on Aug. 6.

Sybiha mentioned Saturday that Ukraine’s intelligence products and services imagine that Pyongyang is helping Moscow’s invasion in go back for get admission to to Russian missile, nuclear, and different army techniques.

“The deepening military-technical cooperation between Russia, North Korea and Iran poses an immediate risk now not simplest to Europe but additionally to Southeast Asia and the Heart East,” he mentioned at a joint press convention along Iwaya.

“Simplest robust and systematic toughen for Ukraine can forestall Russia and produce a complete, simply and sustainable peace.”Sybiha additionally mentioned that the pair had mentioned Japan’s involvement in imposing a “victory plan and peace formulation” for Ukraine.It coincides with a brand new interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who advised newshounds at Ukrainian Radio that he would do the whole lot “to finish this struggle subsequent 12 months thru diplomatic approach.”

New focal point has been put on attainable long run negotiations following Donald Trump’s victory within the U.S. presidential election on Nov 5.Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz additionally held their first telephone name in just about two years Friday.However Zelenskyy warned that greater Russian willingness to interact in talks didn’t imply that Moscow actually needs to finish the struggle, and recommended the USA to deal with its place that the Kremlin had violated each Ukraine’s territorial integrity and world legislation.“I don’t assume Putin needs peace in any respect. However that doesn’t imply that he doesn’t need to take a seat down with global leaders,” Zelenskyy mentioned Saturday.“For him, it destroys the political isolation that’s been constructed because the starting of the struggle. And it advantages him to take a seat down, communicate, and now not achieve an settlement.”Russia moves Kyiv in a wave of drone attacksThe Ukrainian capital used to be attacked in a single day via Russian drones, harmful residential structures and infrastructure in Kyiv’s Obolon district. No casualties had been reported.Ukrainian air defenses neutralized as much as a dozen drones, mentioned the pinnacle of Kyiv’s army management, Serhii Popko. Russia attacked Ukraine with 83 Shahed drones within the early hours of Saturday morning, the Ukrainian air pressure reported. Of the ones, 55 had been shot down, whilst some other 30 veered off path or had been misplaced after digital jamming, it mentioned. In the meantime, Russia’s Ministry of Protection mentioned that it had destroyed 35 Ukrainian drones, together with 20 over the western Kursk area and 11 over the Bryansk area.

___Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this file. ___Follow AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at