Japan to expel eight Russian diplomats and trade officials, impose new sanctions
April 8, 2022, 3:36 pm

Japan to expel eight Russian diplomats and trade officials, impose new sanctions

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (File photo: Official Facebook page)

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, Japan announced Friday it is expelling eight Russian diplomats and trade officials and will phase out imports of Russian coal and oil because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will also ban imports of Russian lumber, vodka and other goods, and will prohibit new Japanese investment in Russia.

The Associated Press said,it will also step up financial sanctions against Russian banks and freeze assets of about 400 more individuals and groups, including military-linked organizations, Kishida said at a news conference.

He said Russia must be held accountable for “war crimes" in Ukraine, including atrocities against civilians and attacks on nuclear facilities, that are “severe violations of international law and are absolutely impermissible."

Russian invasion of Ukraine (File photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky Facebook page)

“We are at a critical moment in our efforts to get Russia to stop its cruel invasion of Ukraine and restore peace. Everyone, please cooperate," Kishida said, referring to the sanctions' impact on Japanese people, such as higher prices for gasoline, electricity and food.

Earlier Friday, the Foreign Ministry announced it is expelling eight Russian diplomats and trade officials. European countries have already expelled dozens of Russian diplomats as their relationships have plunged over Moscow's war against Ukraine.

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Europe and the United States have also stepped up sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on coal imports, following revelations of harrowing atrocities against civilians in Ukrainian cities.

Kishida said the additional sanctions are in line with an agreement by the Group of Seven advanced industrialized nations.

The measures contained in a G-7 leaders’ statement include a phasing out or banning of imports of Russian coal and oil. Japanese trade minister Koichi Hagiuda said Japan plans to gradually reduce its energy reliance on Russia while seeking ways to reduce the burden on Japanese companies.

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Japan has already imposed a series of sanctions, including freezing assets of top Russian officials such as President Vladimir Putin, restricting exports to Russia of goods including sensitive items transferrable to military use, and removing key banks from an international messaging system.

Japan is taking a greater role in the international effort against Russia's invasion of Ukraine because of concerns about its impact on East Asia, where China's military has grown increasingly assertive.

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Japan has already faced reprisals from Russia. Moscow recently announced the suspension of talks on a peace treaty with Tokyo that include negotiations over Russian-held islands which the Soviet Union seized from Japan at the end of World War II.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.