Japanese parliament condemns Russian war on Ukraine

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japanese lawmakers on Tuesday condemned the Russian war on Ukraine, urging Moscow to “immediately withdraw” from the eastern European nation.

“It is an extremely grave situation that could shake the foundation of order, not only in Europe but also in the broader international community, including Asia,” read a resolution adopted by the lower house of the Japanese parliament, locally known as Diet.

The move is in line with the policy of the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida which imposed sanctions on Russia and Belarus against the war on Ukraine.

Japanese lawmakers opposed what they called “Russia’s use of force to unilaterally change the status quo.”

The Russia-Ukraine war entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital Kyiv.

The war has been met with outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, US, and Japan implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.

According to the UN, at least 136 civilians, including 13 children, have been killed and 400 people have been injured so far in Ukraine and more than 500,000 others have fled the country.

Ukraine has said more than 350 civilians have been killed and over 1,600 injured during attacks by Russian forces.

“It clearly infringes upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the Japanese parliament said.

Lawmakers also expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

It is the second time since last month when the Japanese parliament adopted a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine. The previous one was adopted last month.

As part of its sanctions against Russia, Japan has frozen assets held by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, as well as some Russian banks.

“We will work with the international community and respond appropriately by implementing powerful sanctions and other measures promptly,” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told the parliament.