Sunday 22 May 2022 02:22 AM Biden passes the hat for Ukraine on his visit to South Korea and Japan trends now Biden passes the hat for Ukraine on his visit to South Korea and Japan and tells key Asian allies how important it is to provide aid There aren't 'two theaters' any more, a senior administration official told reporters traveling with the president He dined with Korean President Yoon Saturday night and heads to Japan Sunday to meet PM Kishida At each stop Biden 'is going to focus on his concerns about Ukraine and the importance he places in providing assistance to Ukraine' South Korea is a top arms manufacturer but is providing other forms of aid Japan has pledged $600 million in economic aid and has gone along with sanctions Biden signed a $40 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine Friday in Seoul By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor For Dailymail.Com In Bal Harbour, Florida Published: 02:16 BST, 22 May 2022 | Updated: 02:16 BST, 22 May 2022 Viewcomments President Joe Biden is pitching for allies Japan and South Korea to do more to assist Ukraine as he meets with leaders of both countries on his trip to Asia – pushing for further support as Ukraine suffers defeat in Mariupol following a long Russian siege. South Korea is one of the world's top arms exporters, and Japan is the world's third largest economy. Populations and leaders in both countries have rallies around the Ukrainian cause, but Biden is using his trip to try to organize further contributions. 'I think you could expect that at each stop, the President is going to focus on his concerns about Ukraine and the importance he places in providing assistance to Ukraine,' a senior administration official told DailyMail.com on a press call with reporters on Biden's trip. President Joe Biden is stressing support for Ukraine at 'each stop' on his trip to Asia. He flies from South Korea to Japan Sunday The official said Biden has 'made very clear how impressed he is by what the ROK has done. And the fact that the ROK’s actions, I think, further reinforced to the degree to which key allies in Asia are supporting our efforts and the efforts of the international community in Europe, in the same way that in recent years, European countries have paid much more attention shown much more interest in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,' the official said. 'So for I think the President, there's the idea that these are two different theaters, I think doesn't make sense anymore. These are there's very strong linkages between both,' the official added. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last week that his country would provide an additional $300 million in economic aid to Ukraine, doubling its total to $600 million since Russia's invasion. Japanese Prime MinisterFumio Kishida announced last week Japan would contribute an additional $300 million in economic aid to Ukraine Japan sent a shipment of bulletproof vests, helmets and etc. for Ukraine, JSDF is loading them onto KC-767 The shipment of defensive aid during a raging war was a new step for Japan, which has pacifism enshrined in its constitution He announced the funds, to be distributed through the World Bank, in advance of Biden's trip. As it turns out, a delay in the Senate allowed Biden to showcase U.S. support for Ukraine during his trip, which has otherwise been low on headline-grabbing 'deliverables' that administrations usually like to tout during summit meetings. Biden signed a $40 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine Friday in Seoul after an aid flew it here following Senate passage Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month publicly asked South Korea to provide arms, as he seeks to rally allies for enough support to force Russia to relinquish territorial gains. 'You have something that can be indispensable for us ... armored vehicles, anti-aircraft, anti-tank, anti-ship weapons,' Zelensky said. South Korea has emphasized its own security situation in turning down Ukraine's initial request for arms. That posture was underscored this week, as U.S. officials warned North Korea might stage another nuclear or ballistic missile test during or around Biden's trip. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility