On 24 February 2023, one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture issued the following comment:

Governor’s comment

– Today marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

– Once again, I strongly condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

– With the conflict having become protracted, I am extremely distressed by the situation as not only have countless soldiers from both countries been killed or wounded, but many ordinary Ukrainians have also lost their lives, and civilian homes and infrastructure have suffered large-scale destruction as a result of Russia’s inhuman acts.

– And from the point of view of our prefecture, which wishes to realise a peaceful and stable international society, it is a matter of great regret that this conflict has caused shortages of energy and food and pushed up their prices, bringing turmoil to the world economy.

– I strongly urge Russia to immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw from the territory it has occupied. I also call on the international community to unite to bring a peaceful resolution to the situation.

– In addition, as Governor of Hiroshima, which suffered an atomic bombing, I cannot abide by the fact that Russia has repeatedly hinted at the use of nuclear weapons, and I feel a strong sense of crisis that amid these international circumstances, both nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states that are allied with nuclear-weapon states are increasing their reliance on nuclear deterrence.

– I believe that the international community and political leaders need to be reminded that the very existence of nuclear weapons poses a major risk to the sustainability of the planet and humanity, and that there is no solution other than the abolition of these weapons.

– As a prefecture aiming to realise a peaceful world without nuclear weapons under the “Hiroshima for Global Peace” Plan, we will be taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May and continue striving to achieve concrete progress towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

24 February 2023

Yuzaki  Hidehiko,
Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture