Japan to impose sanctions on Belarus over Ukraine war

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan on Monday announced plans to sanction Belarus over the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Releasing a statement following a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the office of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan would also impose additional sanctions on Russia.

"We will impose restrictions on transactions with Russia’s central bank and set in place new sanctions against Belarus," said the statement.

Belarus has been accused of siding with Moscow in the ongoing war against Kyiv. Minsk has denied any such accusation.

The nature of the sanctions on Belarus is yet to be disclosed. Tokyo has already imposed sanctions on Russia.

Japan has imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian officials, three Russian banks, and supported removing Russia from the SWIFT financial system.

The statement added that Japan would also extend the visas to any Ukrainians in Japan "who wish to do so."

Japanese move came as the Russia-Ukraine war entered its fifth day on Monday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital, Kyiv.

Russian military intervention against Ukraine was met by an outcry from the international community, with the EU, UK, Japan, and the US implementing a range of economic sanctions against Moscow.

Moscow has been further isolated as its airlines were banned from traveling in European airspace and a number of its banks have been kicked out of the SWIFT international banking system.

To meet the emerging humanitarian crisis due to war, Japan has also provided $100 million in assistance to Ukraine besides extending a $100 million loan to the eastern European country.

Amid an international push to end the military hostilities, representatives of Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Belarus on Monday.