2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month24Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on April 1, 2008, and since then the Ukraine-Russia war has dominated most of the coverage of the conflict in Japan.monopolizationThe war in Ukraine and Russia has been a major issue in the world. So what has the news coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war been about? Most of the coverage seems to have been about the state of the war, the cities destroyed by the war, the structure of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the military and humanitarian aid provided by the West. However, numerous countries and experts are mediating and calling for a ceasefire and peace. The degree of movement toward peace varies, as some countries have actually taken the initiative to hold talks with the warring parties, while others have made public their proposals for peace.

From either Ukraine's or Russia's point of view, a solution by force, or "victory" on the battlefield, isunrealisticThe negotiations for a solution are inevitable, as it is said to be the case thatvoiceThe Japanese media, however, have not yet been able to provide comprehensive and objective coverage of the current war in Ukraine and Russia. In order to report comprehensively and objectively on the current situation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, it is necessary to cover not only the war situation and military assistance, but also the movements and voices for peace. The following analysis of the amount of coverage in Japan's major newspapers will examine the current status and future of such coverage.

Ukrainian homes destroyed by war (EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Peace Negotiations in the Early Stages

From Russia's invasion of Ukraine4Days later2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month28Representatives of Ukrainian and Russian authorities on the border between Ukraine and Belarus oncease-fire talksThe two sides went to the At this point, Ukraine was demanding an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops, while Russia was keeping secret the purpose of its participation in the negotiations. Although no concrete results were achieved at this meeting, the two sides agreed to hold another round of ceasefire talks. Subsequent to the3month3day, in a place called Brest in western Belarus.Second round of cease-fire talkswas conducted. Although there was agreement that both sides would prepare a humanitarian corridor for the protection of civilians, Ukraine's refusal to accept Russia's demand that Ukraine demilitarize, and the ceasefiredevelopmentThe results of the survey did not show any In addition,3month7also on the dayThird round of cease-fire talkswas conducted in Belarus, and a total of3Three rounds of talks were held, but none of them were able to reach a full agreement on a ceasefire.

After talks in Belarus, Israel was to attempt to mediate. Israel is one of the countries with close ties to both Russia and Ukraine, and as such Israel has a record of moving to negotiate peace immediately after the war began.2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3month3On April 1, then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (*)1)with Russian President Vladimir Putin.telephone conferencewas conducted. The2He will visit Moscow two days later and become the first head of state since the invasion of Ukraine to meet with President Vladimir Putin.direct discussionconducted. Israel is engaged in dialogue not only with Russia but also with Ukraine.2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)March6day (of the month), ,March8day (of the month), ,March12day (of the month)and, in quick succession, he reportedly held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to exchange views on ceasefire efforts.2The two dialogues were both held in Ukraine's North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) accession and territorial issues were the main points of contention. Since the talks by Israel, in fact, President Zelensky has been the UkrainianNATOAcknowledging that membership is unlikely, President Putin has said that he no longer questions Ukraine's right to be an independent country. Israel's mediation.effectis only slightly hinted at.

approximately thereafter1A year was about to pass.2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month5On April 1, the video website YouTube (YouTube), at approximately5hours of former Prime Minister Bennett'sinterview (i.e. television, newspaper, etc.)The video was released. In this interview, about the beginning of the war to about1In a little over a month, a cease-fire was negotiated,NATOand by the West.interferenceThe report also included the shocking statement that the Ukrainian government had been "forced" to suspend the cease-fire by Russia. According to former Prime Minister Bennett, both Ukraine and Russia were told that the ceasefireintentionThe Israeli cease-fire negotiations were frustrated by differences in stance toward Russia and toward the West. In other words, Israel's ceasefire negotiations were frustrated by its differing stances toward Russia and toward the West.

After the peace talks by Israel, now Turkey has stepped in to negotiate peace. Turkey is close to both Ukraine and Russia.powerful nation within regionand an important country in trade in the Black Sea region, it is one of the countries that has historically had close relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Such is the case with Turkey.3month10On April 1, in the city of Antalya in southwestern Turkey, delegations from both Ukraine and RussiadiscussionThe company has hosted Since then, approximately3Weeks later3month29On the day, we have beenBelarusThe talks between the two sides, which had been held in Istanbul, Turkey's western city, moved to Istanbul, and Turkey began to hold full-fledgedagencyThis was the place for the

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with NATO Secretary General ( NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

However, mediation by Turkey did not result in a ceasefire. Western intervention has been cited as one of the reasons for this.2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4month9On April 1, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (*2))made a blitz visit to the Ukrainian capital of Khiu. On that occasion, Prime Minister Johnson appealed to President Zelensky for financial and military aid to Ukraine, and he also appealed to RussianoverthrowHe is reported to have preached about the need for a "new agreement" and called for the cancellation of the talks in Turkey. Ukrainska Pravda, one of Ukraine's press agencies, was scathing about Prime Minister Johnson's visit, saying that it "led to a breakdown in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine."evaluationThe company has also issued a Also,4month25On April 1, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also visited Kiew, following the lead of the U.K., and he also visited Russia.weakeningThe US stated that its objective in this war was to make the West to There seemed to be a discrepancy between the thoroughgoing stance of the Western powers toward Russia and Turkey, which was embarking on peace negotiations as a mediator.

China's peace plan

China, which emphasizes friendly relations with Russia, is also embarking on peace negotiations for a ceasefire. Just since the invasion of Ukraine1the New Year (the year, the month, etc.)2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month24On April 1, the Chinese government regarding the Ukraine-Russia war,12The itemized peacesuggestion(in Japanese history)(*3). In this peace proposal, China has stated that it is a neutral country. However, the U.S. and other Ukrainian supporters of this peace proposal claim that it is Russian-leaning and that it iscriticismThe company was In addition, the1Months later3month21On April 1, President Xi Jinping visited Moscow and held talks with President Putin. This meeting will be the first time that Sino-Russian relations have beenA New Era."cooperation, i.e., to upgrade it to a stronger strategic partnership, and it is difficult to say that this is a peace-oriented initiative. However, in this meeting, President Putin did not give China's12The proposal of the items is evaluated as being available for use as the basis of a peace agreement, which gives a glimpse of Russia's willingness to ceasefire.

China also provided an opportunity for dialogue with Ukraine.4month26On April 1, President Xi Jinping held his first telephone conversation with President Zelensky. President Zelensky, while expressing caution about China's peace plan, said that the planwelcomeThe two countries have shown a willingness to do so. During the call, President Xi Jinping said that China has always taken a peace-oriented stance in the Ukraine-Russia war, and that dialogue and negotiation are the only way out of the war.solutionto President Zelensky that it is

After that5In mid-March, Li Hui, China's Special Minister for Eurasian Affairs, and other top envoys to seek a political solution to the war in Ukraine and Russia.European Tourwas carried outThe following is a list of the most common problems with theThe Chinese delegation was5month17The two countries visited Ukraine on April 1 and held talks. During the talks, however, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kreva insisted that China would not accept any proposal for a ceasefire with Russia, including the loss of territory and the suspension of the conflict.Negative viewThere are indications that they have The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Other attempts

As an attempt outside of Israel, Turkey, and China, I would like to start with Mexico. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)9month12day, against the war between Ukraine and Russia.cease-fire planto the United Nations,9month22Officially at the UN General Assembly onsuggestionThe proposal was made by the Ukrainian authorities, who were opposed to the proposal as it would benefit Russia. The proposal was opposed by the Ukrainian authorities as benefiting Russia, but was subsequently2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4month20On April 1, President Zelensky announced to Mexico that Mexico's peace plan in Latin AmericapromotionHe is asking that they do so. To date, Mexico is one of the countries that has supported Ukraine, and President Zelensky appears to expect Mexico to lead the effort to support Ukraine in Latin America. In addition, Colombia is also involved in the preparation of this plan.cooperationThe company is doing so.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also made moves toward peace. President Lula has...2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)1month30day, with the aim of resolving the Ukrainian-Russian war.national group("For PeaceG20The proposal is to create a "Global Compact" (GCC), whose members would include Indonesia, India, China, and other Latin American countries.assumptionHe said he was doing so. President Lula then,4month25Day ~26of the day2He visited Spain for a two-day visit to the "PeaceG20The creation of the "I" was also against Spain.suggestionThe company is doing so.

Pope Francis of Vatican City also seems willing to serve as an intermediary.2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)5In May, the Pope announced that the Patriarch of Moscow, Russia Cyrillic1The meeting with the second generation (*4),6announced in March that it is planning to implement in Jerusalem, Israel, a plan that issetbackThe company did. However,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4month30day to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.peace activityHe revealed his secretive participation in the5month13On April 1, he and President Zelensky met at the Vatican City on thediscussionand conveyed to President Zelensky his willingness to act as a mediator, with special emphasis on the humanitarian aspect.

Some countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Vatican City, have expressed their support for peace negotiations, in addition to those that have made specific moves or proposals. The African Union (assistant language teacher (technical term used in Japan)Senegal's President Macky Sall, who chairs the Senegalese National Committee, strongly supports a negotiated end to the war,6In May, he visited Sochi, Russia, to meet with President Vladimir Putin.discussionThe company has been conducting a number of activities. Besides, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)12In May, President Zelensky andtelephone conferenceThe two countries have been holding a series of meetings. At the meeting, Prime Minister Modi expressed his support for all peace negotiations.

Indian Prime Minister Modi and Brazilian President Lula (left) meet during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.MEAphotogallery / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

The United States has taken a thoroughgoing stance against Russia, but there are calls for peace from within its ranks. Mark Millie, who still serves as the U.S. Supreme Commander,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)11month9held in New York, U.S.A., onEventsand in a manner contrary to US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken,diplomacyHe reminded participants of the need to resolve the issue through In addition, the former U.S. diplomaticrepresentativeHe has been in a position to initiate many wars as aaffectHenry Kissinger, who continues to give a more than military posture toward Russia,negotiationsThe Ukrainian government supports a resolution of the crisis in Ukraine by the

We were able to confirm that there have been many attempts at peace and that there are voices of support for these attempts in many parts of the world.

Analysis of the Volume of Peace-Related Coverage in Japanese Newspapers

Let us now examine the extent to which the moves toward peace that we have just described have been reported in the press. In this case, major Japanese newspapers3The survey was limited to the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun (*6).

Let us begin with an analysis of the overall volume of news coverage. Of all the articles that have been written about the Ukraine-Russia war, how many have been about peace-related events, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations? Survey period,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month24Day ~2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)5month24of the day1counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3The period shall be one (1) month. In addition,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2month24The day was the day that Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, and this article has positioned this day as the opening day of the war.

In this survey,3We extracted articles related to the war in Ukraine and Russia from the newspapers of each company and used the headlines "peace," "peace," "ceasefire," and "mediation" in the headlines.4We counted up the articles that contained at least one of the three keywords. The results are shown in the pie chart below.

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Overall, the Asahi, Mainichi, and Yomiuri Shimbun3In all of the companies, the Ukrainian-Russian war-related1,900~ (after a number N)2,900Of the approximately 2,000 articles, none of the peace-related reports were130~ (after a number N)150The number of cases is only one. The percentage of the cases can be understood from the above graph. 

Are peace negotiations as a mediator being reported?

Now, as mentioned above, we have introduced various countries, including Israel, Turkey, and China, that are attempting to mediate or actively calling for a ceasefire or peace. Now, a major Japanese newspaper3How well has the company picked up on these facts? We counted the number of articles in the press related to the Ukrainian-Russian war in which attempts at mediation or calls for peace were the main themes. The results are shown in the bar chart below.

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Let us begin by looking at the overall volume of media coverage of this war. As noted above,1counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3In the course of a month, articles covering the Ukrainian-Russian war have been published in approximately2,000~ (after a number N)3,000 Compared to the number of cases, it can be said that the overall number of reports on mediation and calls for peace was small. Looking at the breakdown, the number of reports on mediation and calls for peace made by each of the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun3Both newspapers showed that China and Turkey were outstandingly common. The figures were followed by India and Israel, and while there was some variation in Vatican City, Brazil, and Mexico, they showed little coverage as a major theme in the articles. The African Union and Colombia were not covered by any of the newspapers. Overall, the results indicate that the Yomiuri Shimbun provided the most peace-related coverage. Israel received less peace-related coverage than Turkey and China, possibly due to the fact that Israel has been involved in negotiations and mediation for a shorter period of time than Turkey and China. Although there were reports on Turkey and Israel regarding their mediation efforts, we were unable to confirm any reports to the effect that their negotiations were hampered by the intervention of the Western powers.

It is not necessarily true that countries that actually made concrete moves, such as mediating or making proposals, received more media coverage than those that only made calls for peace. Although India only expressed a conciliatory position, it received more media coverage than Israel, Mexico, or Brazil. The difference may be due to the fact that India and Japan have relatively closer relations in trade and security measures than Israel, Mexico, and Brazil.

Are newspapers calling for peace?

Finally, let's look at the editorials that each newspaper publishes. Editorials are the primary articles that express the views and stances of the news organization as an institution, not as an individual journalist or critic. Since the war began1counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3Among the editorials published within the month-long period, we selected all those that focused on the Ukraine-Russia war as their main theme. We analyzed how many of them reported on peace-related events. The results were as follows.

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Editorials on the Ukraine-Russia war were very large in number (94-168), indicating the strength of attention in these media organizations. However, the small number of editorials (8.7-16.5%) that focus on peace is noticeable among them. In addition, looking at the content of these editorials, many of them wrote about their opinions in response to actual talks or events rather than articles about the importance of negotiations, diplomacy, or peace itself. By country, China and Turkey were covered separately in the editorials. Those that addressed China as a major theme were the Asahi Shimbun3case, in the Daily Newspaper.5The case, in the Yomiuri Shimbun.5There were two cases. The content was "China's Diplomacy: Show Responsibility for Peace through Action" (Asahi Shimbun,March 18, 2023(Japanese only), "China's Stance Toward Russia: 'Remain Still' Will Not Earn Trust. "(Mainichi Newspaper,March 6, 2022), "China's Support for Russia: How Long Will We Tolerate Aggression?" (Yomiuri Shimbun,March 9, 2022Many of them argued for peace by discussing the position that China should take, such as As for Turkey, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported1In only one case, "Turkish Diplomacy: How to Lead Russia to Stop Aggression" (Yomiuri Shimbun,August 9, 2022)In an editorial titled "The Turkish Diplomatic Outlook," the editorial introduced the mediation immediately after the outbreak of the war and touched on the prospects for Turkish diplomacy. We were unable to identify any other content concerning other countries.

Is the Japanese media "belligerent"?

Now, we have been focusing on the movement toward peace in the Ukrainian-Russian war, its progress and the major Japanese newspapers.3The volume of news coverage in the company was analyzed. This analysis revealed a relative lack of peace-related coverage in the Ukrainian-Russian war. To date, there has beenGNVIn the report, the percentage of traditional "war journalism" in Japan's conflict reporting, which focuses on war situations and the composition of battles, greatly outnumbers "peace journalism," which reports on peaceful movements and possibilities in conflicts.exceed (esp. figures: profits, unemployment rate, etc.)We have shown that this is the case. This analysis has confirmed this trend in Ukraine-Russia relations prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This trend of "war journalism" centered reporting is not limited to Japan,all over the worldThis is also seen in the media coverage of the However, the background of this reporting trend in Japan is,Continuation of warThe U.S. government and the U.S. press can be said to still want toaffectIt is believed that the Japanese media, as well as the U.S. press, support the warthink tankand the arms manufacturers behind it are also likely to be strongly influenced.

Reporters gather at a flag-raising ceremony in Herzon Oblast in southern Ukraine (President Of Ukraine / Flickr [CC0 1.0])

The media is an institution that provides us with information about the world, and this information can be used to shape public opinion. Therefore, biased information delivered by the media can bias public opinion. In this analysis, we examined the amount of peace-related coverage by each newspaper, and while some parts of the analysis pointed out the paucity of such coverage, this is not intended to criticize the newspapers for promoting peace-related coverage. This is not intended to criticize the newspapers for encouraging peace-related coverage, since this would in turn lead to a bias in peace-related coverage, which in turn would be detrimental to their reputation as a news organization.objectivityThe reason for this is that the media will lose its objectivity. However, in order not to lose objectivity, it is the minimum required of the news media to report comprehensively on all events related to the war, including peace-related developments. If only this is accomplished, we may be able to imagine the option of "peace" as a matter of public opinion. We will continue to monitor the attitude of the news media toward peace reporting in the hope that the war between Ukraine and Russia will move toward a resolution in the form of negotiations.

note 1Prime Minister Bennett's tenure was2021counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)6month13Day ~2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)6month30Day.

2 How long has Prime Minister Johnson been in office?2019counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)7month24Day ~2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)9month6Day.

3 China's proposed12The items are as follows.(i)Respect the sovereignty of all nations.(2)Abandoning Cold War thinking.(iii)Cease hostilities and engage in prompt direct dialogue.4)To resume peace negotiations.5)To let the humanitarian crisis be resolved.6)Protection of civilians and prisoners of war.seven (used in legal documents)Maintain the safety of nuclear power plants.viii)Oppose the use of nuclear weapons.nineTo promote grain exports.10Do not impose unilateral sanctions.eleventh sign of the Chinese calendarMaintain stability in the industrial and supply chain.⑫Facilitate post-conflict reconstruction.

4 The term "Moscow Patriarch" refers to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow.1Seo is a strong supporter of President Putin and has a close relationship with him.2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)9In May, Russia invaded Ukraine.supportThe company expressed a controversial comment that

5 In addition, Kissinger argues that if a negotiated settlement cannot be achieved, there is a need to ultimately submit to the principle of national self-determination.

6 The survey is,3Database of newspapers of each company (Asahi Shimbun: "Asahi Shimbun Cross Search", Mainichi Shimbun: "one's own plan", Yomiuri Shimbun: "Yomidas History MuseumThe search method used was the "Tokyo Newspaper Search" ("Tokyo Newspaper Search"). For all search methods, no classification was specified, and both the morning and evening editions of the Tokyo-headquartered main newspaper and the Tokyo-area newspapers were used. For the Asahi Shimbun cross-search, the target newspapers were limited to the Asahi Shimbun only (there are three other newspapers: Asahi Shimbun Digital, Aera, and Asahi Weekly).

Writer: Ikumu Nakamura

Graphics: Virgil Hawkins, Yudai Sekiguchi 

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