Japan will expel eight Russian diplomats for war crimes in Ukraine

The Government of Japan announced that it will expel eight Russian diplomats from its territory in retaliation for the “war crimes” committed against Ukrainian civilians in the war in that country, in addition to applying additional economic sanctions.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida accused Russian troops of “inhumane behavior, not only in Bucha, but also in other parts of the country,” citing among them “attacks on civilians and nuclear facilities,” at a press conference this Friday.

“These are war crimes that can never be tolerated,” said Kishida, who signed “the strongest condemnation” that the G7 issued the day before in a joint statement.

Japan is thus following in the footsteps of countries of the European Union and the United States, which in the previous days announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats after images of the massacre attributed to invading troops were disseminated in the city of Bucha, north of Kiev.

Among those expelled are diplomatic envoys from Moscow in Japan and representatives of the Russian commercial office in Tokyo, as explained at another press conference by Japanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hikariko Ono, who refused to explain whether the Russian ambassador is affected by the measure.

The spokeswoman also added that “you can never accept” “Russian propaganda that denies the killing of civilians by the military.”

The Japanese government also announced today that it will gradually reduce its imports of Russian coal, as well as its purchases of vodka, industrial machinery and certain wood products, another movement coordinated with the international community to increase pressure on Moscow.

Kishida noted that the reduction in coal purchases “is directed towards a cessation of imports”, and that it will be accompanied by other measures to avoid having an impact on Japanese energy production and supply for citizens.

The Japanese Prime Minister further noted that he plans to “take steps to ban new investments in Russia” and freeze the funds of Russian banks Sberbank and Alfa Bank, which would be added to the previous rounds of economic sanctions applied by Tokyo in coordination with the international community.

In line with the G7, Japan also aims to further reduce its energy dependence on Russia, a country from which it also imports oil and natural gas, Kishida added.

The Japanese leader also noted his “concern” over Russia's military activities towards the north of the Japanese archipelago, where the South Kuril Islands, claimed by Tokyo since the former Soviet Union annexed them to it at the end of World War II, are located.

(With information from EFE)

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