Japan PM Kishida instructs ministers to continue anti-Russia sanctions amid Ukraine war

Japan has announced that it will continue to impose sanctions against Russia in line with other Group of Seven (G7) nations. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has directed them to continue Tokyo's "diplomatic responses," including imposing sanctions, Kyodo News reported. He made the remarks after attending a meeting of PM Kishida, ministers and senior ministry officials. Prime Minister Kishida attended the meeting virtually as he has tested positive for COVID-19. 

The decision of the Japanese government comes amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which continues for more than 180 days. Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that Fumio Kishida also called for ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals in Russia, and Ukraine and protecting Japan's defence system, as per the news report. Speaking after the meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that the meeting was an opportunity for Kishida to discuss the current situation regarding the war with the new cabinet ministers. It is pertinent to note here that Japan has imposed sanctions against Russia since the onset of the military conflict. 

The sanctions that have been imposed by Japan include freezing of the assets of people related to the Russian government, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian oligarchs, according to the statement released by Japanese Foreign Ministry. Furthermore, Japan has frozen the assets of 11 Russian banks, Sberbank, Alfa-Bank, and VEB.RF, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya, VTB Bank, Sovcombank, Novikombank, Bank Otkritie, Credit Bank of Moscow and Russian Agricultural Bank and their subsidiaries in Japan. Tokyo has also stopped Russian imports of machinery, some wood, gold and luxury goods as well as announced several other restrictions. Moreover, Japan has offered humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine since Russia began its offensive. 

Zelenskyy says cruise missiles used by Russia about to reach 3,500

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the cruise missiles used by Russia against Ukraine are about to reach 3,500. In his nightly video address on August 22, Zelenskyy said that Russia "does not stop playing around with international structures" and once again has the audacity to convene the UN Security Council to discuss its own provocations, its own terror at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant." He stated that the search operations at the site of Russia's attack on a residential building in Kharkiv have ended. Zelenskyy stressed that Ukrainian agencies have recovered the bodies of people who were under the rubble. He claimed that 19 people died in the Russian strike in Ukraine on 22 August. Zelenskyy called for imposing more sanctions against Russia. 

Image: AP