"Trump Talks with Mrs. Abe on Taiwan-Ukra War"

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reportedly met with the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie on the 15th to talk about the security environment such as the Taiwan issue and the war in Ukraine, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing officials.

At the dinner at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump was quoted as saying that "it is a big problem for China and Taiwan to solve for world peace" with Taiwan's emergency in mind.

"Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden have confirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at the talks," Yomiuri said, adding that the focus is on whether Trump can share his perception of the Taiwan Strait with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Trump also reportedly explained at a dinner with Akie that he had repeatedly expressed enthusiasm for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on an armistice, calling for an end to the war at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month.

Yomiuri added that in a lecture in Tokyo today (22nd), Ms. Akie said of Mr. Trump, "I thought he was someone who didn't want to go to war," adding that she hoped he would lead to a peaceful world after taking office.

Akie also said at the dinner that when the story of World War II came out, Trump said that if Trump were him and Abe, the war would not have happened.

But he did not elaborate further on the conversations he had with Trump and his wife.

The Sankei Shimbun reported that Trump's change of direction to meet with Prime Minister Ishiba appeared to have been a dinner with Akie.

The Japanese government has begun coordinating the schedule with Trump as he said he could meet with Prime Minister Ishiba before the inauguration on the 20th of next month.

Prime Minister Ishiba reportedly tried to meet with Trump on his way home after a trip to South America last month, but Trump said he would not meet with foreign leaders before the inauguration.

However, Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau late last month and this month visited France, where he also met with President Emmanuel Macron and President Zelensky.