The Japanese government is considering slapping more sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s suspected massacre of civilians in Ukraine, informed sources have said.
Japan may widen the scope of banned Russia imports and exports, as well as the list of individuals and organizations subject to asset freezes, the sources said. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to make a decision shortly.
Last month, the United States banned imports of crude oil from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while the European Union is considering banning coal imports from Russia.
But many central government officials aren’t keen on sanctions in the energy field because such measures would be bound to have a significant impact on the domestic economy.
“The killings of innocent civilians constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and are a war crime,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference Wednesday, suggesting that the government will consider additional sanctions on Russia.
On Tuesday, Japan increased the items covered by its export ban to include luxury cars, jewelry and other expensive goods. Tokyo is considering adding more items to the list.
Japan is also studying the possibility of further expanding its asset freeze list, which currently covers 101 individuals, including senior Russian government officials and business magnates, and 19 organizations, including Russia’s central bank.
Tokyo aims to work closely with other countries including in Brussels on Thursday as foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries meet. That meeting will be attended by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
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