Japan's Kishida sees growing chance of Russia using nuclear weapons

FILE PHOTO: New U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel points to the watch of Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the start of their meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, February 4, 2022. Franck Robichon/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday the prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons was "increasingly real", welcoming a visit by the U.S. ambassador to Hiroshima, the first city to suffer a nuclear attack.

Japan, the only country attacked by atomic weapons, has regularly spoken out against nuclear armaments. Kishida, who represents Hiroshima in parliament, visited the city's peace memorial and museum on Saturday with envoy Rahm Emanuel.