Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered an on-line speech before Japanese lawmakers in the Diet. As the first country in Asia to take action, he thanked Japan for putting pressure on Russia and asked for continued sanctions against it.

The address started at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Japan time, and was delivered with simultaneous interpretation into Japanese by Ukrainian government staff.

Zelenskyy said the people of Japan and Ukraine share a common feeling for freedom. He thanked Japan for swiftly extending a helping hand.

Referring to Russia's attacks on nuclear power plant facilities, Zelenskyy said Russia has turned nuclear waste disposal sites into battlefields. He called on Japanese lawmakers to consider how long it would take to bring them back to normal.

He said thousands of people had already died in Ukraine, including 121 children, and appealed to the audience to understand that many civilians had lost their lives.

The president said he has reports that Russia is preparing attacks with chemical weapons such as sarin.
He also noted that people around the world are talking about what will happen to the world if nuclear weapons are used, and expressed his strong concern about Russia's possible use of weapons of mass destruction.