Japan ousts 8 Russian diplomats after Bucha genocide, Moscow vows retaliation

After the horrifying images of civilian corpses in Bucha started surfacing, many global powers expressed strong condemnation, with some countries expelling Russian diplomats. Joining the bandwagon of global powers, Japan, which time and again chastised the Kremlin over its relentless military aggression in Kyiv, has decided to expel some of the Russian diplomats. According to a report by Mainichi Shimbun, the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced the ouster of eight Russians, which includes diplomats.

The expulsion of the Russian diplomats comes as Japan continues to engage with the US and European nations to mount pressure on Russia to cease the latter's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Japanese Foreign Ministry stated that many trade officials were included among the diplomats expelled by Japan. However, it should be noted that the Russian ambassador Mikhail Galuzin has not been expelled. The United States and many European countries like France, Germany and Italy have already expelled Russian diplomats based on suspicions of spying and other illegal acts. In retaliation for Japan's decision, Moscow is expected to remove Japanese diplomats from Russia.

Japan is also aiming to wean itself off Russian coal imports

It is pertinent to note that Japan is also aiming to wean itself off Russian coal imports by phasing them out. Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister,  Koichi Hagiuda stated that they will continue to endeavour to lessen their reliance on Russia by promoting energy diversification, including renewables and nuclear power. He further said that Japan would explore alternate coal sources with the goal of finally stopping imports. In Japan, Russian coal accounts for 13% of total electricity generation, according to Kyodo News.

In a press conference on Friday evening, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to unveil more stringent sanctions against Russia, including details on the coal import ban. Japan condemned Russia for the atrocities in Bucha against the civilians. PM Kishida stated that the killing of innocent civilians violates international humanitarian law.

Zelenskyy slams Lavrov for Bucha statement

In the meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the bodies found in Bucha were staged by Ukraine, which was slammed by Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. While talking to the Republic Media Network, Zelenskyy stated that he will not respond to Minister Lavrov's claim that the scenario in Bucha was a "fake." He further said that he can't talk to people who are not willing to listen to any other information.