Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party chose Yoshihide Suga to serve as the country’s interim prime minister through a party election on Sept. 14.
Unlike Shinzo Abe, the previous prime minister, Suga has expressed little interest in handling diplomatic affairs, preferring to focus on domestic issues such as tackling the coronavirus pandemic and the nation’s weakening economy.
Even though Suga has vowed to continue Abe’s foreign policy, he himself has little experience in international relations. This makes it difficult for him, a former chief cabinet secretary, to address the persistent diplomatic challenges left over from the Abe administration.
It also raises questions about Japan’s continued support for Ukraine.
Abe’s legacy
Last month, Abe announced that he will be retiring due to health concerns. Three candidates emerged as contenders to join the race for Japan’s leadership.
Suga was ultimately elected by Abe’s LDP to become interim prime minister. He will remain in office until the 2021 election, when he may stand for election.
As Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Suga has been Abe’s right-hand man since 2012. The son of a strawberry farmer and a school teacher from rural northern Japan, Suga entered national politics in 1996 when he won a seat in the LDP at the age of 47.
Despite his comparatively limited political experience, the 71-year-old candidate beat the odds to succeed Abe.
Japan’s ex-leader has left a mark on Japan’s international affairs that the new prime minister will struggle to match.
An annual report published on the country’s foreign policy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan describes the country’s approach as “diplomacy through a panoramic perspective of the world map.” This has been Abe’s motto during the years of his premiership when he visited over 170 countries and regions to promote national and global interests.
Following this policy to deepen contacts with all nations of the world, Abe built many new relationships with other countries during his time in office.
Japan in Ukraine
Abe became the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Ukraine in June 2015. During the meeting with the country’s president at the time, Petro Poroshenko, Abe called for the implementation of a ceasefire with Russia in war-torn eastern Ukraine.
At a G7 summit that took place shortly after the visit, Abe declared that Japan will lend a helping hand to eliminate corruption and foster administrative reform in Ukraine. Following the summit, he pledged a $1.84-billion-dollar aid package to support Ukraine’s nation-building and stability in the face of the Russian invasion.
As of 2017, a total of $1.86 billion dollars — more than initially planned — was allocated to “improve the economic situation, restore democracy, and encourage a nationwide dialogue for national integrity” in Ukraine.
Over the years, the Japanese government provided Ukraine with grant aid for the restoration of infrastructure in its eastern regions, investment into the medical sector, and the purchase of 9,000 winter uniforms for Ukraine’s police. In addition, Japan also gave a $1.1 billion loan for a project to modernize the Bortnytska Aeration Station.
“Japan is one of the largest donors to Ukraine and intends to continue our support for the reform efforts of the Government of Ukraine,” Abe said during a Summit Meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in October 2019.
However, one of the goals that he failed to achieve was to resolve Japan’s territorial dispute with Russia over the Kuril Islands that Soviet troops seized during World War II.
Abe’s repeated one-on-one talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin had little impact. The 2020 report on Japan’s Foreign Policy and Activities refers to the nation’s northern territories as “our country’s sovereign islands.” Abe advocated that Japan will not sign the peace treaties with Russia unless they recognize the status of these islands.
Suga has promised to continue holding negotiations with the Russian president to resolve the territorial dispute. But no matter how much Suga pledges to commit to Japan’s foreign policy, there is skepticism over whether he will be able to manage these delicate matters.
Implementing the foreign policy of his predecessor would mean the continuation of years-worth progress made in economic, political, and strategic cooperations with countries like Ukraine.
If Suga promises to keep Abe’s path in foreign affairs, Japan will continue to support Ukraine in the country’s conflict with Russia.
For now, only time will tell how the relationship between Ukraine and Japan will unfold under the new Japanese leader.
