G7 to work closely following Russia uprising: Japanese PM Kishida

Following a short-lived uprising by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, the Japanese government on Monday said that it will coordinate with the other Group of Seven (G7) countries in addressing the situation, adding the development warrants "serious attention," Kyodo News reported.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida told reporters, "We would like to respond to the situation by closely working with the G7." He made these remarks in reference to the rebellion that seemed to have dealt a blow to the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the midst of a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the war launched by Moscow in February last year.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that he has not heard of any major clashes in Russia following the rebellion, but the government will make efforts to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens residing in the country, as per Kyodo News.

Kyodo News is a news agency based in Minato, Tokyo.

Mastsuno refrained from commenting on the possible impact of the uprising on Putin's rule and the war in Ukraine. He added, "We will continue to closely watch the Wagner Group's moves and Russia's domestic situation with serious attention."

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, which had been fighting with the Russian military in Ukraine, announced on Saturday that his forces would halt their assault on Moscow to save "shedding Russian blood."

Amid a flurry of diplomatic action as tensions rose, the G7 foreign ministers agreed on Saturday during phone calls to closely coordinate their response as they discussed "urgent challenges the international community is facing," according to the Japanese government, according to Kyodo News.

The G-7 includes the European Union in addition to the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. At the moment, Japan is the group's rotating chair.

In a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed the United States "unwavering US support, including through continued security, economic, and humanitarian aid," according to the White House.

In a television interview on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the movement revealed "real cracks" in Putin's control.

He said, "We can't speculate or know exactly where that's going to go. We do know that Putin has a lot more to answer for in the weeks and months ahead," Kyodo News reported.