Japan expands Russia sanctions amid war in Ukraine

Individuals, firms based in Russia, other nations targeted, says government spokesman

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japan on Friday expanded its sanctions on Russia, targeting individuals as well as firms and organizations based in Russia and other nations amid the war in Ukraine.

The Cabinet approved additional sanctions against Russia, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference in Tokyo.

It includes sanctions and freezing assets of 51 groups and 14 individuals over the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Tokyo has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia, aligning its policy on Moscow with other G7 members, since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. The latest sanctions were Japan's first this year.

“We made the decision as Russia's invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing,” said Hayashi.

Earlier this week, Japan decided to close all Tokyo-funded educational institutions in Russia after Moscow scrapped a bilateral memorandum that governed their operation.

Tokyo had established six Japan Centers across Russia between 1994 and 2001 to provide technical assistance for the country’s social reforms.

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