Ukraine crisis: Japan slaps sanctions on Belarus over Russian invasion
- 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
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.
01:53
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.
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.
Zelensky explained the situation in Ukraine to Kishida as well as his government’s response, but the Japanese prime minister refrained from giving further details.
Kishida said Japan will extend emergency humanitarian assistance worth US$100 million to Ukraine.
China warned US ties will worsen further unless it shifts stance on Ukraine
“Thank you! A truly global anti-war coalition works,” Zelensky said on Twitter.
The two leaders spoke in mid-February before the Russian military’s advance and agreed that a diplomatic solution to the crisis was important.
Japan has been taking a tougher stance than when it imposed sanctions following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Russia’s use of force to unilaterally change the status quo has challenged the post-Cold War architecture, raising concerns in Europe and beyond.
Japan has already decided on a slew of sanctions against Russia, including asset freezes on banks and export curbs.
It announced further punitive steps, such as asset freezes on Putin and other Russian government officials, and joined efforts by other Group of Seven nations to exclude some Russian banks from a key international payment system known as Swift.
‘Robust support for Taiwan’: former top US defence officials to visit island
The amount of assets held by Putin in Japan has not been disclosed.
Japan has been seeking to assist Japanese nationals in evacuating from Ukraine if they wish to and has arranged chartered flights from Poland. It has set up a temporary liaison office in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow.
“For Ukrainians living in Japan who are worried about going back (to Ukraine), we will allow extended stays,” Kishida said.
