Japan is hurting from the Iran war ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to Washington next week. She has promised to be "candid" with the US president.
How forthright Japan's first woman premier can afford to be in their March 19 meeting, and how receptive the 79-year-old Trump will be, remain to be seen however.
kAm%96 H@C=5VD ?F>36C\7@FC 64@?@>J :D E96 7:7E9\3:886DE :>A@CE6C @7 @:=[ hd A6C46?E @7 :E 7C@> E96 |:55=6 t2DE 2?5 f_ A6C46?E A2DD:?8 E9C@F89 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[ ?@H 67764E:G6=J 4=@D65]k^Am
kAm~? E@A @7 @:= C:D:?8 23@G6 S`__ A6C 32CC6=[ y2A2?VD 967EJ :>A@CE 3:== 92D 2=D@ C:D6? 3642FD6 :ED 4FCC6?4J 92D 72==6? 282:?DE E96 5@==2C[ 2D 6G6CJ 32CC6= @7 4CF56 \\ EC2565 :? E96 &$ 4FCC6?4J \\ 4@DED >@C6 J6? E@ 3FJ]k^Am
kAm~? (65?6D52J[ y2A2? H2D E96 7:CDE E@ 2??@F?46 2 C6=62D6 7C@> :ED DEC2E68:4 @:= C6D6CG6D[ H:E9 %2<2:49:[ ed[ D2J:?8 y2A2? H2D 36:?8 QD6G6C6=J :>A24E65Q]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 92D D2:5 E92E 56762E:?8 xC2?VD Q6G:= 6>A:C6Q H2D >@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? 4CF56 AC:46D]k^Am
kAm!C:4:6C @:= \\ 2?5 2=D@ 82D \\ C:D<D >2<:?8 =:76 >@C6 6IA6?D:G6 7@C 7:C>D 2?5 72>:=:6D 2=:<6[ H9:49 4@F=5 9FCE %2<2:49:VD A@AF=2C:EJ]k^Am
kAmyFDE @G6C 7@FC H66<D 28@[ D96 H2D 32D<:?8 :? 2 =2?5D=:56 6=64E:@? G:4E@CJ[ 3FE A@==D AF3=:D965 E9:D H66< DF886DE E92E E96 9@?6J>@@? :D D@FC:?8]k^Am
kAmp7E6C C:46 AC:46D 5@F3=65 =2DE J62C[ $E672? p?8C:4<[ D6?:@C 64@?@>:DE 2E |@@5JVD p?2=JE:4D[ D2:5 E92E :? A2CE:4F=2C[ 7@@5 4@F=5 ;F>A 282:?]k^Am
kAmQW*@FX ?665 6?6C8J E@ AC@5F46 7@@5] p?5 ?2EFC2= 82D[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ :D @7E6? FD65 E@ AC@5F46 76CE:=:D6C[Q p?8C:4< E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmvC@HE9 :D 2=C625J 7663=6 \\ _]b A6C46?E :? E96 =2DE BF2CE6C \\ 2?5 %2<2:49: =2DE J62C AFD965 E9C@F89 2 a`]b\EC:==:@?\J6? WS`bc\3:==:@?XDE:>F=FD A24<286]Â k^Am
kAmp?J 6IEC2 677@CED 4@F=5 H@CCJ :?G6DE@CD H9@ 2C6 2=C625J 7C6EE:?8 \\ 3@?5 J:6=5D 9:E C64@C5D :? y2?F2CJ \\ 23@FE y2A2?VD 4@=@DD2= 563ED]k^Am
k9am\ #F=6D \k^9am
kAmy2A2? :D 2 DEC@?8 324<6C @7 E96 CF=6D\32D65 :?E6C?2E:@?2= @C56C 3FE %2<2:49: 92D 366? 42C67F= ?@E E@ 4C:E:4:D6 E96 H2C 2?5 2?86C %CF>A 27E6C 492C>:?8 9:> @? 9:D G:D:E E@ y2A2? :? ~4E@36C]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@ ?@E A@DD6DD 56E2:=65 :?7@C>2E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 H96E96C E9:D H2D 2 >62DFC6 7@C D6=7\5676?46] ~FC 4@F?ECJ H:== C67C2:? 7C@> >2<:?8 2 =682= 2DD6DD>6?E[Q D96 D2:5 @? |2C49 a]k^Am
kAm%@<J@ 42? :== 277@C5 E@ 2??@J %CF>A D:?46 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 92D 7@C 564256D \\ H:E9 e_[___ EC@@AD @? y2A2?6D6 D@:= \\ 366? E96 8F2C2?E@C @7 y2A2?VD D64FC:EJ]k^Am
kAm%CF>A :D 5F6 E@ G:D:E r9:?2 7C@> |2C49 b` E@ pAC:= a]k^Am
kAmy2A2?\r9:?2 E:6D 92G6 H@CD6?65 27E6C %2<2:49: DF886DE65 :? }@G6>36C E92E y2A2? >:89E :?E6CG6?6 >:=:E2C:=J :? 2?J r9:?6D6 2EE6>AE E@ E2<6 %2:H2?]k^Am
kAmp=C625J E96C6 2C6 4@?46C?D (2D9:?8E@? 92D E2<6? :ED 6J6 @77 E96 pD:2\!24:7:4[ 2?2=JDED D2:5]k^Am
kAm%H@ &$ 56DEC@J6CD ?@C>2==J 32D65 :? y2A2? H6C6 :? E96 pC23:2? $62 2D @7 =2DE H66<[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C6A@CE :DDF65 |@?52J 3J E96 &$ }2G2= x?DE:EFE6]k^Am
kAmy2A2? C6>6>36CD E92E p7892?:DE2? 2?5 xC2B Q3@8865 5@H? &$ C6D@FC46D 2?5 2EE6?E:@? 7@C 564256D[Q D2:5 *66 zF2?8 w6?8[ 2 AC@76DD@C :? :?E6C?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %@<J@]k^Am
kAmQ~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ D@>6 9@A6 E92E E96 5:DA=2J @7 &$ >:=:E2CJ >:89E W:? xC2? 2?5 2=D@ '6?6KF6=2X H:== 6?92?46 56E6CC6?46 @7 r9:?2[Q w6?8 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
k9am\ x?G6DE>6?ED \k^9am
kAm!C@323=J >@C6 @? %CF>AVD >:?5 H:== 36 y2A2?VD A=6586 E@ :?G6DE Sdd_ 3:==:@? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? C6EFC? 7@C =@H6C:?8 E9C62E6?65 E2C:77D @7 ad A6C46?E E@ `d A6C46?E =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@>:D6D C6>2:? G2=:5 6G6? 27E6C E96 &$ $FAC6>6 r@FCE DECF4< 5@H? %CF>AVD 8=@32= E2C:77D :? u63CF2CJ 2?5 96 :>A@D65 2 ?6H 3=2?<6E `_ A6C46?E 5FEJ @? :>A@CED]k^Am
kAm%@<J@ 2?5 (2D9:?8E@? 2??@F?465 367@C6 E92E CF=:?8 2 7:CDE EC2?496 @7 Sbe 3:==:@? 7@C E9C66 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 AC@;64ED 2?5 >@C6 >2J 36 2??@F?465 ?6IE H66<]k^Am
kAmQ%2<2:49: H:== ?665 E@ FD6 E96 A6CD@?2= C2AA@CE D96 92D 3F:=E H:E9 %CF>A D:?46 =2DE 72== E@ ECJ E@ 4@?G:?46 9:> E@ =@@< A2DE E96 4FCC6?E 4@?7=:4E :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ 2?5 >2<6 9:> D66 E96 C6A6C4FDD:@?D E92E :E :D 92G:?8 36J@?5 E96 C68:@?[Q D2:5 $2JFC: #@>6: 2E E96 x?5@\!24:7:4 !C@8C2> @7 E96 v6C>2? |2CD92== uF?5 @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D Wv|uX]k^Am
kAmQ}@E23=J[ D96 H:== ?665 E@ F?56CD4@C6 y2A2?VD A6CDA64E:G6 @? r9:?2VD >F=E:\7246E65 E9C62Ei ?@E @?=J q6:;:?8 A@D6D 2 E9C62E 7C@> 2? 64@?@>:4 4@6C4:@? A@:?E @7 G:6H[ :E :D 2=D@ 2 5:C64E D64FC:EJ E9C62E[Q #@>6: E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm2A\2A9\DEF^4>Dk^Am