Tokyo, 25 February, /AJMEDIA/
G-7 leaders rap Russian attack on Ukraine, vow “severe” sanctions
TOKYO/WASHINGTON – Leaders from the Group of Seven nations on Thursday condemned Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine as “completely unjustified” and a threat to the rules-based international order, while vowing to impose “severe” and coordinated sanctions against Moscow.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his G-7 peers that Japan is preparing to take “tougher” measures, on a par with the United States and Europe. U.S. President Joe Biden announced sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest financial institutions and elite individuals among others, as well as export controls to limit Moscow’s ability to obtain cutting-edge technology.
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Japan PM announces more sanctions on Russia after Ukraine invasion
TOKYO – Japan will impose additional sanctions targeting Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday, joining the United States and Europe in piling pressure on Moscow.
Speaking at a press conference, Kishida said the new package of sanctions include export controls on semiconductors and other products, a freeze on assets held by Russian financial institutions, and a suspension of visa issuance for certain Russian individuals and entities.
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FOCUS: Ukraine crisis to test Japan’s steadfastness in democratic principles
TOKYO – For Japan with long-standing disputes over Russian-held islands, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday is an occasion testing how true the nation is to basic democratic principles such as the rule of law, foreign policy experts say.
The situation surrounding Ukraine has a massive implication on the Indo-Pacific region, they say, adding that China’s military assertiveness, especially against Taiwan, would possibly further grow if Japan sets a bad precedent of showing a tolerance to altering the status quo by force.
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Int’l Olympic, Paralympic bodies condemn Russia’s Ukraine invasion
TOKYO – The International Olympic Committee on Thursday condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying in a statement that it constitutes a “breach of the Olympic Truce” adopted at the U.N. General Assembly in December.
The International Paralympic Committee issued a similar statement, saying the truce was endorsed “by consensus of all 193 member states and is co-sponsored by 173 member states, including Russia.”
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China refrains from calling Russia’s attack on Ukraine “invasion”
BEIJING/SEOUL – China on Thursday refrained from describing Russia’s major attack against Ukraine as an “invasion,” while urging other countries including the United States to attempt to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
During their telephone talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Beijing understands Moscow’s “reasonable concerns” on security issues related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, his ministry said.
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Russia launches “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine, sparks int’l outcry
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON – Russia on Thursday launched a major attack against Ukraine following a months-long military buildup on the border, triggering international condemnation for an “unjustified” war that is feared will result in significant loss of life in Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin moved ahead with what Ukraine called “a full-scale invasion” after announcing that Moscow would carry out a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, where two pro-Russia separatist regions are located.
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Japan seeks to further ease border controls as COVID 6th wave wanes
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday the Japanese government is considering further easing border restrictions as the country prepares to “exit the sixth wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We hope to gradually increase international travel while taking into consideration the infection situation at home and abroad, as well as the demand of Japanese returnees,” Kishida said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session.
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Japan’s Beijing Paralympians vow to emulate Olympians’ success
TOKYO – Japan’s delegation to the Beijing Winter Paralympics was formally launched in a ceremony Thursday, promising to emulate the success this month of their Olympic compatriots.
“The Olympians giving their best greatly moved the citizens of Japan,” said Japan’s captain, women’s para-alpine skier Momoka Muraoka, who is looking to add to her five medals from 2018 that included giant slalom gold.