Japan Tells U.N. Russia Poses ‘Serious Threat to Peace and Security’

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio joined other free nations at the 77th U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an outrage that “tramples on the vision and principles of the U.N. Charter.”

“What is crucial is for any and all countries to be under the rule of law, not the rule by force, which we absolutely cannot allow,” he declared.

“We must face the fact that the credibility of the United Nations is at stake due to the aggression against Ukraine by Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council. We, the Member States of the U.N., must act to restore this Organization’s credibility,” he urged.

As with other leaders who made similar statements to the General Assembly, Kishida was short on specifics for how to reform and strengthen the United Nations over the objections of Russia, China, and other aggressive states which threaten the “international rules-based order.” 

He did make a point of demanding “reform” of the U.N. Security Council, and while he did not go into great detail on those changes, his prime example of the need for reform was Russia using its Security Council influence to block and soften resolutions against its invasion of Ukraine.

Watch below as Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio addresses the U.N.

Kishida also sternly criticized Russia for “threatening the use of nuclear weapons,” an “absolutely unacceptable” course of action he denounced as “a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community,” speaking as a prime minister whose family hails from Hiroshima.

Kishida criticized Russia for blocking efforts to “strengthen” the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) last month, an action it took in part because Moscow was frustrated with U.N. criticism of its forces occupying and endangering a Ukrainian nuclear plant. 

He also stated his willingness to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un “without any conditions” to discuss denuclearization, along with other lingering issues such as North Korea’s abductions of Japanese citizens, even though North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature recently passed a law making nuclear negotiations illegal.

Kishida described “rule by force” as the antithesis of “rule of law,” and said it was important for the U.N. to strengthen the former because developing nations can only prosper under a lawful environment in which stronger powers “do not allow any attempts to change the status quo of territories by force or coercion.”

This was clearly a slam at both Russia for invading Ukraine and China for its aggressive actions in the South China Sea, although the Japanese prime minister did not call out China by name.

Much of Kishida’s speech was a recitation of Japan’s contributions to various international initiatives and aid programs, including the worldwide struggle with Chinese coronavirus.

His implication, captured in his theme of “human security,” was that such global efforts can only flourish under the rule of law since the rule of force means aggressive, authoritarian regimes can corrupt great programs, block humanitarian aid, and siphon off economic assistance. 

The world is presently filled with dismaying examples of countries that investors and international aid programs are reluctant to assist, for fear their investments will be stolen, or because the political elites in those nations have been bought off by China.