Japan will sanction Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and key government officials over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced on Sunday.
Japan will freeze the financial assets of Putin and the government officials, and it will join the West in blocking main Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment network.
“Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force and shakes the foundation of international order,” Fumio said according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
“Japan will provide $100 million as emergency humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine, in addition to the yen-denominated loans worth about $100 million that have already been pledged,” the PM added.
Japan’s stance comes on the fourth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and after the US and the EU have announced extensive sanctions against Moscow.
The European Union will shut down its airspace to Russian aircraft and ban Russian state-owned media in the bloc, in addition to stepping up support to Ukraine and targeting Moscow ally Belarus with sanctions, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.
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The US had already introduced sanctions aimed at preventing Putin from using $630 billion in central bank foreign currency reserves amid a crumbling rouble, in addition to the cutting off main Russian banks from SWIFT.
US President Joe Biden had indicated that imposing sanctions on Putin himself remains an option on the table and will be studied according to developments on the ground.
Putin ordered earlier on Sunday Russian nuclear forces on high alert, citing NATO’s “aggressive [and] illegitimate sanctions” against Russia as the cause.
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