Japanese PM Fumio Kishida Pays Surprise Visit To Ukraine, Tours Bucha Massacre Site. In Pics

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday.

Kishida's trip is the first time a Japanese prime minister has visited a country or region with ongoing fighting since World War II.

Kishida's visit is also the first visit to Ukraine by an Asian member of the G7 grouping and the first by a US ally in the region.

Zelensky called Kishida 'a truly powerful defender of the international order and a longtime friend of Ukraine'.

The Japanese PM also visited Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv where Russian forces have been accused of widespread atrocities.

In Bucha, Kishida laid a wreath outside a church before observing a moment of silence. 'As I step foot in Bucha today, and witness all the brutality that took place here, I have a strong sentiment of indignation,' AFP quoted the PM as saying.