The Japanese government will increase sanctions against Russia in light of the events in Ukraine. This was announced on Friday, February 25, at a special press conference following a regular meeting of the National Security Council, said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“We are freezing the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation, freezing the assets of financial institutions, restricting the export of goods to organizations associated with the military sector,” Nikkei quoted him as saying.
However, the head of the Japanese Cabinet evaded a direct answer to the question of the possibility of restrictions against Moscow in the energy sector or disconnecting the Russian Federation from SWIFT. Kishida noted that everything will depend on the development of the situation. According to him, Tokyo is in close contact with the G7 and the international community.
He also wished to refrain from making predictions about the impact of the sanctions on economic activities jointly with Russia in the Kuril Islands.
The day before, US President Joe Biden announced the concentration of anti-Russian sanctions, adopted in response to the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to conduct a special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass, on the financial sector of the Russian Federation. Russian companies will be limited in their ability to make payments in dollars, pounds sterling and yen.
According to him, the United States plans to freeze the assets of large Russian banks. Also, export restrictions are being introduced against Moscow in order to limit the entry of high-tech products into the country by 50%.
Following Washington, the European Union announced “unprecedented” anti-Russian sanctions. The leaders of 27 countries agreed on additional anti-Russian measures due to the situation in Ukraine. The EU sanctions package is directed against the financial, energy, transport sectors and dual-use goods. They will also affect the visa policy and will manifest itself in restrictions against a number of Russian individuals and organizations.
On February 24, the Russian leader announced that a special operation would be carried out in the Donbass in order to protect the civilian population. After that, Vladimir Zelensky accused Russia of hitting the country’s military infrastructure and introduced martial law throughout the country.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the army did not carry out air missile or artillery strikes on the cities of Ukraine. They stressed that nothing threatens the civilian population of the country. High-precision weapons destroy military infrastructure: military airfields, aviation, air defense facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zelensky said that Kiev is breaking off diplomatic relations with Moscow and expelling its diplomats from the embassy.
The situation in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including from heavy weapons. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia.
Since 2014, the Kiev authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the conflict.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
