日米首脳、近く電話会談　ウクライナ情勢協議へ

　日米両政府は２１日、ウクライナ情勢の緊迫化を受け、岸田文雄首相とバイデン大統領による電話会談を近く行う方向で調整に入った。両首脳の協議は１月２１日以来。ロシアが軍事侵攻に踏み切れば、制裁を含む「強い行動」を取ることを確認する見通しだ。
　首相は１７日にロシアのプーチン大統領と電話会談。「力による現状変更」は容認できないとの立場を伝えており、バイデン氏に会談内容を説明するとみられる。（2022/02/21-15:45）

The Japanese and U.S. governments are planning to hold telephone talks soon between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden in response to heightened tensions in Ukraine, sources said Monday.
   In what will be their first talks since Jan. 21, Kishida and Biden are expected to confirm that the two nations will take strong action, including sanctions, against Russia if it invades Ukraine.
   Kishida is likely to brief Biden about his phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday last week, in which the prime minister told Putin that Japan will not accept any attempt to change the status quo by force.
   On Thursday this week, the Japanese leader is slated to attend an online meeting of the leaders of the Group of Seven advanced nations, planning to call for Russia to pull back its troops from around Ukraine's borders.
   Speaking at Monday's parliamentary committee meeting, Kishida stressed that Japan will keep making diplomatic efforts to ease the tensions, together with other nations.