TOKYO, January 18. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi conveyed a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, via lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, stating that Tokyo considers its relations with Moscow important and wants a swift ceasefire in Ukraine, Japanese political analyst and former Foreign Ministry official Masaru Sato wrote in an article for the Toyo Keizai newspaper.

He recalled that before traveling to Moscow, the lawmaker met with Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. According to Sato, Suzuki received a message from the prime minister for Putin stating, first, that Japan views its relations with Russia as important and, second, that it hopes for a swift ceasefire in Ukraine.

The expert believes the message was conveyed to Putin after the Japanese lawmaker passed it on to Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, whom he met on December 26.