Japan on Wednesday condemned Russia’s decision to expand its entry ban on Japanese citizens, calling the move “absolutely unacceptable” and “regrettable.”
The protest came a day after Moscow announced an indefinite travel prohibition on 30 additional Japanese nationals, including Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura, as part of its response to Tokyo’s sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released the updated blacklist on Tuesday, naming Japanese journalists, academics, and government officials among those newly barred from entering the country.
The move follows Japan’s latest round of sanctions in September, which targeted Russian individuals, companies, and entities and included new restrictions on Russian seaborne crude oil imports.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that Japan had formally protested the decision, stressing that “people-to-people exchanges between the two countries remain important.”
He accused Moscow of attempting to deflect responsibility for its “aggression against Ukraine” by blaming other nations for the ongoing conflict.
Moscow has repeatedly imposed reciprocal measures against Japan and other Western-aligned countries that have sanctioned Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite its strong support for Kyiv, Japan continues to import energy from the Russian-operated Sakhalin project in the Far East, citing its national energy security needs.
Asked whether Britain’s recent ban on insurance for Russian gas shipments would affect imports from Sakhalin or whether Tokyo planned to tighten sanctions, Kihara declined to comment.
He reaffirmed that Japan would continue working with international partners “to achieve peace in Ukraine while safeguarding our national interests.”
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
