<figure id="attachment_235085" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-235085"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b8615103"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/03/aflo_20144633.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-235085" class="wp-caption-text">Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka is on the move. She has stood up in support of the plight of Ukrainian citizens. In a country that lags behind the international community, her philosophy and strength that &#8220;a politician should serve the people and society until death&#8221; are now in demand Photo: Reuters/Afro</figcaption></figure>
 Diplomacy is all about accurate intelligence analysis and reflexes. The Kishida administration can&#8217;t even do enough for people coming to Japan from Ukraine. I want to somehow help the people in Ukraine and those who have fled to Poland, Romania, and other nearby countries.&#8221;
Makiko Tanaka, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has told LDP officials since the war began on February 24. She laments that the Fumio Kishida administration&#8217;s &#8220;sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine&#8221; are frustrating to her.
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<h2>Japan&#8217;s Lagging Behind Other Countries</h2>
President Zelensky&#8217;s speech was delivered in the British Parliament on August 8.
 He said, &#8220;We have had to fight a war we did not want. We do not want to lose our homeland, Ukraine.&#8221;
On the 16th, he made an online speech to the U.S. Congress U.S. Congress, calling for further military assistance and tougher sanctions against Russia. And on the 17th, in the German Bundestag.
 He said, &#8220;I have pointed out that we are preparing for war, but we have prioritized the economy. We are not building a Berlin Wall, but a wall dividing Europe into free and crippled.&#8221;
He appealed in a strong tone of voice. All countries applauded President Zelensky&#8217;s speech.
What about Japan?
 There were some pathetic &#8220;considerations,&#8221; such as: &#8220;We can&#8217;t set up a large monitor in the Capitol,&#8221; &#8220;It would be better to discuss the content of Zelensky&#8217;s speech in advance,&#8221; &#8220;Simultaneous interpretation would be necessary for online speech,&#8221; and &#8220;Wouldn&#8217;t this provoke the Chinese? &#8230; .&#8221; (LDP Rep.)
After such &#8220;consideration,&#8221; the online speech to the Diet was finally decided on the 23rd.
Even if Japan&#8217;s slow response was due to deep diplomatic considerations, it is so poor compared to other developed countries. That is what Makiko Tanaka is upset about.
<h2>Makiko is locked out of the Foreign Ministry.</h2>
Makiko is considered close to China because her father, former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, accelerated the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.
 We need China to criticize the war that Russia has caused. The Kishida administration has failed to take a firm stand against China.
He is said to have told people around him. A career Foreign Ministry official said.
 A career Foreign Ministry official said, &#8220;It is unacceptable for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be beholden to only a few countries. A calm and cautious attitude is required. We must avoid the misconception that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is backing up former Foreign Minister Makiko&#8217;s transmission. We must explore room for diplomatic negotiations with Russia, and we must also show a dialogue stance toward China.&#8221;
It is the job of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to maintain international balance from a broad perspective. Therefore, &#8220;we have no choice but to block former Foreign Minister Tanaka&#8217;s approach,&#8221; he said. A Diet member who works with Makiko testified.
 When I contacted the Central and Eastern Europe Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for access to Ukraine or Poland, the response was chief class. Inquiries from Diet members and former foreign ministers are usually handled by a section chief or assistant section chief. However, within the Ministry, Russia VS. At this time of heightened tension between Europe and the United States, it appears that instructions were circulated to minimize contact with former Foreign Minister Tanaka and the opposition parties. A lockout, so to speak.&#8221;
<h2>Good luck, Momo-chan.&#8221;</h2>
However, Makiko&#8217;s vitality is such that she does not care at all about the internal affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 We need Momo-chan to do her best here.
He telephoned Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, a.k.a. Momo-chan, directly and asked for support for Ukraine and backup for neighboring countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania. He reportedly told her that the &#8220;Mirai Ukraine Fund,&#8221; which he himself is promoting, is now in full swing.
Makiko and Foreign Minister Hayashi are close friends, and Makiko, who calls Hayashi &#8220;Momo-chan&#8221; because of his thick thighs, was not at all pleased with his direct phone call.
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Former U.S. Presidents Clinton and Bush both visited Ukrainian churches to express solidarity with Ukraine. In Japan, former Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka will be quick to accelerate her support for Ukraine. It is a mistake to say that once you retire from politics, you are no longer a politician. Once she decided to serve her country with her life, she chose to stand up again to protect human life. Makiko Tanaka&#8217;s strength is needed now.

 Takashi Hashimoto

 Reuters/Afro

 Diplomacy is all about accurate intelligence analysis and reflexes. The Kishida administration can't even do enough for people coming to Japan from Ukraine. We must somehow help the people of Ukraine and those who have fled to Poland, Romania, and other neighboring countries.

Protect Ukraine…! The “Reason” Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka Stood Up

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