U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu condemned Russia's war and expressed support for Ukraine during a press conference in Washington on Jan. 11.
"We stand with Ukraine against President Putin's war, which threatens the principles that underlie the rules-based international order - including that all nations should be able to determine their own path and have the right to sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity."
Hayashi told the press conference that Russian aggression against Ukraine "shakes the foundations of the international order" as Russia resorts to "reckless nuclear rhetoric and attacks on civilian infrastructure" and said the parties had agreed on the need to "continue strong support for Ukraine."
He also said that Japan and the U.S. share a common concern in the strengthening cooperation between China and Russia.
Earlier on Dec. 31, a U.S. State Department spokesperson expressed concerns about China's "alignment with Russia as Moscow continues its brutal and unlawful invasion of Ukraine."
“Beijing claims to be neutral, but its behavior makes clear it is still investing in close ties to Russia,” the spokesperson told CNN, adding that “those that side with Moscow in this unjust war will inevitably find themselves on the wrong side of history.”
