Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens to an explanation by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shown bottom left on the screen, during an online meeting of Group of Seven leaders in October. (Provided by the Cabinet Public Affairs Office)

The Japanese government is working out whether Prime Minister Fumio Kishida can visit Kyiv in late February, around the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Japan aims to arrange a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only after fully assessing the situation on the ground and factoring in the schedule of the ordinary Diet session, which began on Jan. 23.

“Nothing concrete has been decided,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said on a Fuji Television Network Inc. news program on Jan. 22.

But he also said the government is considering having Kishida visit in light of the Group of Seven summit Japan will host in Hiroshima in May.

“One of the major issues on the G-7 summit agenda will surely be Ukraine,” he said. “We have to give it thorough consideration.”

The government is tentatively considering having Kishida visit around Feb. 24, according to several officials at the prime minister’s office.

It wants to arrange a short visit, such as a weekend stay, since Diet lawmakers will be discussing the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

The government could push the schedule back depending on how the war is going and how Diet deliberations are proceeding.

Japan is also considering calling for online talks between G-7 leaders and Zelenskyy, which would coincide with the one-year anniversary.

Kishida was asked to visit Kyiv when he spoke with Zelenskyy by phone on Jan. 6.

“I want to consider the visit, taking into account the various situations,” Kishida told reporters that day.

Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February last year, Japan has been the only G-7 nation to not hold a face-to-face summit between Zelenskyy and its leader.

But it will not be easy to arrange the meeting. Although the government expects Kishida to enter Ukraine by land from neighboring Poland, security and safe transportation will be issues.

“The situation in Ukraine is dangerous,” a source close to the prime minister said.

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