Ukraine crisis: Japan slaps sanctions on Belarus over Russian invasion

Name: Belarus set to renounce ‘non-nuclear status’, clearing hurdle for nuclear weapons acquisition
Uploaded: 2022-02-28T15:56:01.000Z
Duration: 1 min 53 s
Description: Belarus set to renounce ‘non-nuclear status’, clearing hurdle for nuclear weapons acquisition

Prime Minister Kishida, after talking to Ukrainian President Zelensky, says Japan will focus on Belarus President Lukashenko and other Belarusians

Belarus will also be subject to Japan’s export controls; Tokyo will limit Japan’s transactions with Russian central bank too

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Kyodo

Published: 11:56pm, 28 Feb 2022Updated: 1:14pm, 9 Mar 2022

Japan will slap sanctions on Belarus over its “clear involvement” in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, zeroing in on President Alexander Lukashenko and other Belarusian individuals, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday just as talks between Kyiv and Moscow got under way.

Belarus, known for its close ties with Russia and serving as an entry point for Russian forces invading Ukraine, will also be subject to Japan’s export controls.

The scope of Japan’s sanctions regime in response to the military attack launched last week now expands beyond Russia and two pro-Moscow separatist regions in Ukraine. The move is in line with steps taken by the United States and other nations.

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Belarus set to renounce ‘non-nuclear status’, clearing hurdle for nuclear weapons acquisition

Along with the announcement on Belarus, Kishida said the government will limit transactions with the Russian central bank. It is the latest escalation of sanctions aimed at dealing a severe blow to Russia’s finances and the broader economy.

“We have to defend the very foundation of the international order, being united and resolute in our action with the international community,” Kishida said after telephone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“President Zelensky highly valued and appreciated our nation’s steps (against Russia and Belarus),” he said.

Ukrainian refugees are welcomed by helpers after their arrival in Berlin on Monday. Many Ukrainians have left their homes after Russia invaded their country. Photo: dpa

During the roughly 15-minute talks, Kishida criticised Russia’s “reckless act of violence” as a serious violation of international law banning the use of force, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.