Press Conference by the Prime Minister regarding the Situation in Ukraine

(On President Putin of Russia stating in a televised address that Russia will conduct a special military operation)

There have been various reports including the statement made by President Putin. We will do everything in our capacity to gather information first and foremost and grasp the actual situation. Whatever the case may be, the situation is tense, and I intend to engage with this matter acting in cooperation with the G7 as well as the international community.

(On whether or not anything new will be done to evacuate Japanese nationals from Ukraine)

We are first of all working to collect information and are properly assessing the situation. Based on that, ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals is a very important issue. We will undertake a precise response after solidly assessing the information and the circumstances to determine the most appropriate way forward. At this moment, I think we are at that stage.