Ukraine's foreign minister has stressed that US President Donald Trump's administration needs to put pressure on Russia if Moscow rejects a Washington-proposed ceasefire.
Andrii Sybiha gave an exclusive interview to NHK at the Foreign Ministry in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Saturday.
This is his first interview with foreign media since he attended a meeting of senior officials from Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. A joint statement from the talks says, "Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire."
Sybiha stated in the interview that Ukraine wants to end the war this year and will not be an obstacle to the process. But he argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants war, and that the world is looking for a response from Moscow.
The minister revealed that a Ukrainian national team will start preparing a roadmap on how to monitor a long frontline extending more than 1,300 kilometers.
Sybiha said Ukraine will hold consultations with the US and other countries, partly because it may need the engagement of international personnel to monitor a ceasefire.
He described Japan as "the closest partner in Asia." He said he would like to express gratitude to Japan for providing Ukraine with "constant, unwavering support from the first minutes of the brutal Russian aggression."
Asked what kind of support Ukraine expects from Japan the most, Sybiha said assistance with reconstruction. He called Japan a "true leader" and added that reconstruction is also an opportunity for Japanese companies.