Hayashi, who had been on a tour of the Middle East and Poland earlier this week, made an unannounced visit to Ukraine and visited Bucha, one of the hardest-hit towns on the outskirts of Kyiv, before holding talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy thanked for Japan's humanitarian and financial assistance that helped Ukraine through the winter as well as overcome problems in the energy supply due to Russian attacks, according to a statement from the office of the Ukrainian president. Japan plans to host a Japan-Ukraine conference aimed at economic reconstruction early next year, Hayashi told Zelenskyy, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Hayashi brought along a delegation of Japanese business leaders, including Rakuten Group CEO Hiroshi Mikitani and Teppei Sakano, president of a medical equipment maker Allm Inc.