NEW YORK, September 23 — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spent her first day at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday in a run of high-level meetings that folded several of Japan’s foreign-policy priorities into a single afternoon: coordination with Washington, continued backing for Ukraine, and a fresh push on reform of the United Nations and its Security Council. The centerpiece was a Japan-US summit with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Takaichi described the talks as “very open and cordial” and said the two leaders held “solid discussions” on cooperation across a wide range of fields and regional situations. By her account, it was the fourth time she has met Trump since the G7 Evian Summit in June.
Economic security and the alliance
On economic security, Takaichi said in a post on X that the two confirmed cooperation “to win the technology competition and enhance resilience in fields such as AI, semiconductors, and critical minerals,” and agreed to further strengthen this going forward. They also reaffirmed the importance of steadily implementing the Japan-US agreement on tariffs and agreed to advance cooperation on both sides. Takaichi said she and Trump exchanged views frankly on “issues including China and North Korea.” She raised the abduction issue directly.
“In particular, regarding the abduction issue, to which I am personally committed with determination, I once again emphasised the importance of its immediate resolution and received his full support,” Takaichi said. She added that the talks covered security, the economy, economic security and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as views on the International Criminal Court.
“Through close engagement with President Trump, we aim to elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance to even greater heights,” she said. The White House also flagged the meeting, posting on X: “President Donald J. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the United Nations General Assembly, furthering the strong alliance between the USA and Japan.”
Ukraine and the UN reform push
Takaichi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their first meeting since their conversation in Evian in June. She said she expressed respect for the Ukrainian people and underlined Japan’s continued support for Ukraine.
“I once again expressed respect for the Ukrainian people who are standing up for the peace of their homeland under President Zelenskyy’s strong leadership and emphasised that it is essential for all countries to unite in supporting Ukraine in order to achieve ‘just and lasting peace’ as soon as possible,” she said in a separate post on X.
She stated that Japan stands with Ukraine, that this policy remains unwavering, and that Tokyo will continue to work on support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia in cooperation with the international community. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Japan’s support and explained Ukraine’s current initiatives. Her meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was a reunion following his visit to Japan in May, and UN reform dominated it.
“From my side, to realise a more resilient and effective United Nations, I confirmed our cooperation on UN reform, including the UN80 Initiative, and stated that reform of the Security Council—encompassing expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership—is indispensable,” Takaichi said. She also reiterated Japan’s request for an increase in the number of Japanese nationals serving in UN-affiliated organisations.
Guterres expressed gratitude for Japan’s support of UN activities and expectations regarding Japan’s contributions to efforts toward UN reform. Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to multilateralism centred on the United Nations. What to watch next is whether the tariff agreement moves from reaffirmation to implementation, and whether the Security Council reform language Takaichi carried into New York gains any traction among member states as the General Assembly session continues.
