Japan ramps up Russia sanctions with G7 

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno says the country will impose additional sanctions on Russia after the Group of Seven (G7) summit the country hosted last week agreed to step up measures to punish Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to a foreign ministry statement on Friday, Japan in a co-ordinated action with G7, will freeze assets of 78 groups and 17 individuals including army officers in Russia and ban exports to 80 Russian entities such as military-affiliated research labs.

Japan will also ban providing construction and engineering services to Russia, although the details of the measure will be announced at a later date, a trade ministry statement said.

Matsuno, Tokyo’s top government spokesperson, also condemned Russia’s move on Thursday to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying it would further intensify situations around the invasion of Ukraine.

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“As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings during wartime, Japan never accepts Russia’s nuclear menace, let alone its use,” Matsuno told a regular press conference.

The leaders of G7, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, last week showed their resolve to support Ukraine with additional military aids and sanctions on Russia, at the annual summit held in the world’s first atomic-bombed city Hiroshima.

Zainab Sa’id