Europe 1 with AFP
Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani announced on Sunday that he would donate almost 8 million euros to Ukraine, devoted to “humanitarian activities to help victims of violence”, in the midst of the Russian invasion. The founder of Rakuten also denounced “a challenge to democracy”.
Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani announced on Sunday that he was going to donate one billion yen (7.7 million euros) to the government in Kiev, calling the Russian invasion a “trampling of Ukraine” and of “challenge to democracy”. The founder of Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce and other online services giant, said in a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the donation would be used for “humanitarian activities to help people in Ukraine who are victims of violence”.
“A Challenge to Democracy”
Hiroshi Mikitani clarified that he visited Kyiv in 2019 and met with Zelensky. “My thoughts are with you and with the people of Ukraine,” the Japanese billionaire said in his letter, adding, “I believe that the trampling of a peaceful and democratic Ukraine by unwarranted force is a challenge to democracy.” “I sincerely hope that Russia and Ukraine can resolve this issue peacefully and that the Ukrainian people can find peace as soon as possible,” he concluded.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a wave of international outrage and severe sanctions from major democracies. The Japanese government has announced a series of measures against Moscow targeting in particular the financial sector and sensitive exports such as electronic components.