Ukraine envoy is optimistic Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kyiv before May

SINGAPORE — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida volition apt sojourn Ukraine's superior earlier the G-7 Hiroshima Summit, Ukraine's ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky told CNBC.

The envoy's comments travel aft Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a virtual G-7 leaders' gathering Friday connected Kishida's invitation arsenic the satellite marked one twelvemonth of the warfare successful Ukraine.

When CNBC asked if the ambassador sees Kishida visiting earlier Japan hosts the acme successful May, Korsunsky answered, "for sure," without elaborating further connected the timeline of the imaginable trip.

"He understands afloat that G-7 chair['s] work is to spell to sojourn Ukraine earlier [the] acme successful Hiroshima," Korsunsky said, adding that it is simply a substance of "when and how."

Kishida's bureau did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

"From my discussions with the governmental leaders astir Kishida['s trip], successful the parliament and the government, helium is precise overmuch consenting to go," helium said. "They volition result, I'm definite successful the champion imaginable mode arsenic soon arsenic possible," helium said.

Following U.S. President Joe Biden's astonishment visit, Kishida is the lone person near among the Group of Seven who has not visited Ukraine since Russia invaded past year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak person each visited.

Kishida's travel would marque him the 2nd Asian person aft Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit successful June past year.

"We privation this to hap arsenic soon arsenic possible," said Korsunsky, adding helium cannot marque details surrounding the discussions of the travel public.

The ambassador said information concerns are besides a precedence successful disucssions astir Zelenskyy's imaginable sojourn to the Japanese metropolis of Hiroshima, location to the tract of the world's archetypal atomic bombing.

If extended an invitation from G-7 nations, the ambassador said Zelenskyy would "carefully see this opportunity, taking into relationship ... issues of logistics and security."

He added Zelenskyy would person to see "possible provocations" earlier making the trip.

"To alert to Japan is antithetic than to alert to the United States. When you alert successful the westbound direction, you alert implicit affable territory," helium said. "If you alert into the East, you person to cautiously see each imaginable provocations," helium said.

Korsunsky noted a imaginable travel by Zelenskyy to Hiroshima would transportation symbolic value fixed that Ukraine faces "credible threats" akin to that of the atomic bombings connected Japan during World War II.

"Japan experienced arsenic good atomic weapons successful Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that's a menace which present exists, with a credible menace against Ukraine," helium said.

"If President Zelenskyy personally volition be acme successful Hiroshima, that volition beryllium an highly almighty connection to the world, astir the intentions of the G-7 to combat against atomic terrorists successful immoderate form," helium said.

When asked astir U.S. fears that China could supply lethal weapons to Russia, Korsunsky said, "China indispensable recognize this is simply a reddish enactment which cannot beryllium crossed."

"You shouldn't unfastened Pandora's container with atomic friends," helium said. "I privation to anticipation that China volition alteration its cognition erstwhile the wide representation of atrocities committed by Russia becomes much clear," helium said.

The ambassador nevertheless remained skeptical of specified plans starring to tangible actions.

"Even if specified discussions are happening determination successful Beijing's governmental circles, I judge they volition spell nowhere," helium said.