TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will impose additional sanctions on Russia after a Group of Seven (G7) summit the country held last week agreed to step up measures to punish Moscow’s aggression on Ukraine, the chief cabinet secretary said. Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday.
Matsuno, Tokyo’s top government spokesman, also condemned Russia’s move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus on Thursday, saying it would further escalate the situation surrounding the invasion of Ukraine.
“As the only country to have suffered nuclear bombings in wartime, Japan will never accept Russia’s nuclear threat, let alone use it,” Matsuno said at a regular press conference.
G7 leaders including the United States, Britain, Germany and France showed their resolve to support Ukraine with additional military aid and sanctions on Russia last week at their annual summit in Hiroshima, the world’s first atomic-bombed city.
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In a coordinated action with the G7, Japan will freeze the assets of 78 groups and 17 individuals in Russia, including army officers, and ban exports to 80 Russian entities such as military-affiliated research laboratories, according to a Friday foreign ministry statement. .
Japan will also impose sanctions on providing construction and engineering services to Russia, a trade ministry statement said, although details of the measure will be announced at a later date.
(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry)
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