Shigeru Ishiba has pledged to put Ukraine in the "strongest possible position" on a trip to Kyiv where he signed a "landmark" 100-year pact with the war-stricken country. The prime minister's visit  on Sunday was at one point marked by loud blasts and air raid sirens after a reported Russian drone attack was intercepted by Ukraine's defence systems. Acknowledging the "hello" from Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would send its own "hello back".  An estimated two millions people have been killed or wounded in the war so far. As the invasion reaches the end of its third year, Ukraine is losing territory in the north. Zelensky praised the Japan's commitment on Sunday, amid wider concerns that the US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Monday, could potentially reduce aid.