U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House next week, the first since taking office.
According to the Associated Press and others on the 31st (local time), President Trump met with reporters in the Oval Office and noted, 'Prime Minister Ishiba will come to the U.S. next week to talk.'
President Trump further stated, 'I have great respect and admiration for Japan,' mentioning the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom he had a close relationship during his first term. 'He was a very close friend, and what happened to him (the assassination) was one of the saddest things.'
Although President Trump did not specify the exact date and time for the U.S.-Japan summit, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that it is expected to be on February 7.
President Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba are expected to focus on discussions regarding security and economic issues during this summit. In this regard, the Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the two governments are coordinating to issue a joint statement on strengthening the alliance.
The two leaders are also likely to discuss relations with China, a global hegemonic competitor of the U.S., tariffs, defense expenditure increases, and the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel.
On the same day, President Trump is scheduled to converse with Russian President Vladimir Putin and mentioned that he and President Putin 'might do something important together.'
President Trump also added, 'We want to end the war in Ukraine,' stating, 'The battlefield is completely flattened, and it only stops when bullets hit people. Russia has lost 800,000 troops, and Ukraine appears to have suffered between 600,000 and 700,000 casualties.'
President Trump also conveyed, 'We are having serious discussions with Russia regarding a ceasefire.'