Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday emphasized that Japan has ¡°no intention of taking sides¡± following U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy¡¯s extraordinary blowup at the White House last week.

Ishiba, speaking during a Lower House Budget Committee meeting, expressed surprise at Trump and Zelenskyy¡¯s verbal dustup, which ended without a key minerals deal being signed and with the Ukrainian leader being kicked out of the White House.

¡°From what I saw on TV and in the news, I can¡¯t help but wonder how this could have happened,¡± he said in response to a question about his views on the heated argument in front of live cameras last Friday.