Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that Japan will play a role in defending the international order.

Zelenskyy and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held their summit meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday.

After the talks, they issued a joint statement, which says the leaders decided to upgrade their bilateral relationship to Special Global Partnership.

At a news conference, Zelenskyy called Japan a "defender of the international order and a longtime friend of Ukraine."

Zelenskyy said he was delighted to welcome Kishida to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy noted that they discussed security issues as the most important subject. He said he has a keen interest in humanitarian assistance from Japan and strong expectations for Japan's cooperation in reconstruction efforts.

The Ukrainian president also said he accepted the invitation to participate online in the upcoming G7 summit, scheduled for May in Hiroshima.

After the news conference, Zelenskyy released a video speech. He thanked Japan and said that given Japan's responsibility as the G7 chair, his talks with Kishida can "truly yield a global result."