TOKYO: Japan announced expanded sanctions on Friday in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting dozens of newly sanctioned firms and organizations.
The move includes export bans against entities not only in Russia but also in its ally Belarus and several other countries. The Japanese trade ministry revealed that 57 organizations in Russia and six in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Syria, and Uzbekistan have been added to the sanctions list.
The latest additions mean that Japan has imposed an export ban on a total of 494 Russian organizations, along with 27 Belarusian entities and six others from various countries. These measures signify Tokyo’s determination to express its disapproval of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s forces entered Ukraine in February of the previous year, the country has faced a series of sanctions globally. However, calls from Kyiv and its allies for even more robust actions against Moscow have been mounting. Japan had already taken steps, including freezing assets of Russian individuals and groups, and banning the export of goods to Russia’s military-related organizations, construction, and engineering services.
The new sanctions are set to take effect on December 22 for the newly added Russian organizations and on December 27 for the entities in other countries. The move aligns with the stance taken by the Group of Seven (G7) leaders at their summit in Japan in May, where they agreed to “starve Russia of G7 technology, industrial equipment, and services that support its war machine.”
While the United States, Britain, and the European Union have imposed substantial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, committing billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv, Japan’s extended measures reflect its commitment to addressing the ongoing conflict and demonstrating international unity against Moscow’s actions.
