Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani announced on Sunday that he will be donating one billion yen (about €7.7 million) to the Ukrainian government in light of the ongoing crisis with Russia.
The founder and CEO of Rakuten, the Japanese giant that specialises in e-trade and other online services, said in a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the donation would be for humanitarian activities to help people in Ukraine who have become victims of the violence.
"Consulting with my family, we Mikitani family have decided to donate 1 billion yen to Ukraine," Mikitani wrote on Twitter.
僕達にできることは本当に限られていますが、家族と相談し10億円をウクライナに寄付することにしました。 Consulting with my family, we Mikitani family have decided to donate 1 billion yen to Ukraine. Attached is my letter to President Zaranskyy. Our hearts are with you. pic.twitter.com/w4LAPs7nt7
— 三木谷浩史 Hiroshi (Mickey) Mikitani (@hmikitani) February 26, 2022
In the letter, Mikitani said he was "deeply saddened" by the news of the military attack against Ukraine. He also recalled his visit to the country's capital in 2019, when he met with president Zelensky.
“My thoughts are with you and the people of Ukraine," he wrote, adding: "I believe the trampling of a peaceful, democratic Ukraine by unjustified force is a challenge to democracy.”
“I sincerely hope that Russia and Ukraine can resolve this issue peacefully and that Ukraine people can have peace again as soon as possible."
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has generated a wave of international outrage, including from prominent Russians, and severe sanctions against Russia by the world’s major democracies.
Japan’s government announced a series of measures against Moscow targeting the finance sector and sensitive exports such as electronic spare parts.
